APPENDIX. 



705 



being a few years planted, and trains a single shoot from the bottom, knowing well 

 that the vigour of this one shoot will be lasting ; that the impetus given to the 

 growth of the tree will continue ; and that, in a few years, the cut over tree will 

 be many times larger than those allowed to stand uncut. It is thus that nursery- 

 men increase the vigour of their young plants by pruning ; and that gardeners, 

 when pruning for wood, cut farther back than when pruning for fruit. 



758 in p. 338 & 768 in p. 341. — If the tops of the shoots of forest trees are 

 pinched off in time, and proper attention paid to the plantation from its commence- 

 ment, the contending large arms being converted into small side shoots, there will 

 be little need for pruning at all, and skill will be of more consequence than labour. 

 It is shortening-iu, or fore-shortening, done in a much better and much easier way. 



761, in p. 339. — The laying-in of small shoots, in place of cutting back to naked 

 branches and spurs, should be more encouraged. More distance than usual should 

 be left between the leading branches, and plenty of young wood nailed in after the 

 manner of peach trees. It diminishes the quantity of breast-wood, which is an 

 evident practical anomaly, and serves no good purpose, being annually renewed and 

 annually cut out. The growth should be much better spent in producing young 

 wood and fruit, which will not require so much slashing of wood. 



767, in p. 341. — The thin layer of alburnum is the consequence of stunting rather 

 than the cause. A tree may be renovated though not cut back to the collar, and 

 part of the old stem with its thin alburnum left. The vigour of the new growth 

 will give a thicker coating of alburnum ; though old hardened bark will not swell 

 up so quickly as the new bai'k on a young shoot. 



769, in p. 342. — I have seen very fruitful trees covered every year with blossoms 

 so thickly that the greater part had to be brushed off, and the trees very vigorous, 

 where the outer bark had been renewed a few years before. The situations, how- 

 erer were sheltered ; the practice has not been much adopted yet, and it is 

 doubtful if it would suit exposed situations ; but for sheltered places it appears 

 to be very effectual in renovating the vigour of old trees. It should be more 

 often tried than it is. 



770, in p. 342. — It has been generally said that ringing of trees contributes to 

 fruitfulness by accumulating sap ; but it is not explained how this is done. The 

 wood being of more specific gravity above the ring is no proof of this, because it 

 is denser from not having swelled out so much in bulk, rather than from accumula- 

 tion of sap. The ring prevents, to a certain extent, the ascent as well as descent 

 of the sap ; and it more probably acts by furnishing a smaller quantity of sap, v/hich 

 is more easily brought into a highly elaborated or organised condition than the 

 ordinary larger quantity would have been. The ring does not in the first instance 

 prevent the ascent of the sap, the alburnum, its principal channel, not being 

 interfered with. 



771, in p. 343.— Extent should be given to the wall-tree to exhaust itself by 

 growth, and so bring on maturity. If the border is not too rich, this should be 

 better than tearing off a great mass of breast-wood. More young shoots should be 

 laid in, and they should be left longer at pruning-time in the strongest-growing 

 sorts. In weak-growing sorts, apt to fruit, they should be encouraged with manure, 

 or we may have dry mealy, in place of large succulent fruit. 



772, in p. 343. — It is not clear how disleafiug will assist a tree to throw off super- 

 abundant sap. Disleafing should rather prevent elaboration of the sap, and keep 

 the tree fuller of crude juices. It will, however, by lessening evaporation, stop the 



