101 



plants shonld be placed under proper cultivation, 

 and congenial influences, and they will arrive at 

 maturity at a specific period in harmony with their 

 nature ; and be healthy and live to a long old age. 

 In illustration of these principles place plants in the 

 full rays of the sun under favorable circumstances, 

 and they will have a fine lively green color, and be 

 healthy, but if placed in a dark room, they will 

 lose their color and become sickly, and if light is 

 let in from any point they will extend themselves 

 in that direction, and grow slender, and become 

 weak. 



If seeds are planted in open space with free access 

 of light and air, in congenial soil, they will gi ow 

 and the plants will assume their natural form and 

 grow stocky without the pruning-kn(fe. and have a 

 fine lively green color and ba healthy ; but if plant- 

 ed in a thicket, they will grow slender, and if cut 

 back to make them grow stocky, it not only checks 

 their growth, but deprives them of the ability to 

 make growth by destroying their absorbing surface, 

 and if the practice is often repeated, they become 

 pale, sickly, and soon die. 



If we prune a tree to hasten its maturity, we re- 

 tard its circulation and impede its growth, upon the 

 same principle as working it on a dwarf stock; and 

 a less quantity of fruit is produced early at the cost 

 of the vitality, constitution and longevity of the tree. 



So, in whatever respect we restrain the growth 

 and natural form of a tree to hasten its maturity, 

 we strike at its vitality, and hasten its destruction. 



Having briefly considered the philosophy, theory, 

 and practice of pruning, and its bearing on the ac- 

 tion of vegetable life, we shall now endeavor to give 

 the result of our own experience : 



Many years ago we attempted to carry into prac- 

 tice the popular book-theory of pruning, but the 

 many changing circumstances deprived us of seeing 

 the final result of our experiments ; yet we saw 

 eff'ects which we could not then explain or reconcile 

 with the theory. Finally we cut back in the nur- 

 sery about one half of our one year old apple trees, 

 supposing at the time it would make them grow 

 more stocky ; but instead of doing so it retarded 

 their growth, and they were neither as large or 

 stocky as those not cut back. 



We transplanted some of those trees cut back in 

 an orchard, when four years old, by the side of some 

 one year old trees not cut back, and never pruned, 

 and the result is the one ji-ear old trees are the most 

 stocky, and have bore the first and most fruit. 



In the Spring of 186G we reset over 100,000 trees 

 one, two, and three years old, after pruning the 

 roots and ^' halaneuig the tops the result was we 



lost over 90,000, while another party, at the same 

 time, by our side, reset 20,000 trees of the same 

 ages, very slightly pruning them, and not losing 

 more than 5 per cent. 



Having been present, and witnessing both of 

 these operations and the results which followed, we 

 could not attribute this great difi'erence of success 

 to any thing but the different pruning. 



Since then we have changed our views and prac- 

 tice, with the most satisfactory results. But the 

 njost positive proof is the diff'erent systems of prun 

 ing contrasted with each other on the same and 

 and different varieties, in the orchard, under similar 

 conditions. 



In the Fall of 1860, we set out a lot of Chronicle 

 apple trees, 5 years old, — they had been twice trans- 

 planted and pruned. Those not pruned, since re- 

 set, are 15 inches in circumference near the ground; 

 one pruned once since, li^- inches; one twice 

 pruned siuL'e, 10 inches. 



A lot of lied Astrachan, reset at the same time, 

 three years old when reset, those not pruned since, 

 14 inches; one sliirhtly pruned once since, 12 in- 

 ches; one pruned up to two feet, 11 inches. 



A lot of Fultons, three years old when reset, 

 those not pruned since, 15| inches; one slightly 

 pruned once since, 14^ inches ; one pruned up two 

 feet, 12 inches. 



A lot of Benoni, same age, those not pruned since 

 reset, 13 inches; one slightly pruned once, lljin. 



A lot of Sweet Bough, those not pruned since 

 reset are 12 inches; those pruned once since, 

 91 inches. 



One Fameuse, not pruned, 14 inches. One Red 

 Russet, not pruned, i6| inches. One Taluian's 

 Sweet, not pruned, 14 inches. One Trenton Early, 

 not pruned, 14| inches. 



A lot of W. W. Pearmain, one year old when re- 

 set, one never pruned, I5i^ inches, bloomed last 

 year, bore 30 apples this year; one slightly pruned 

 one, llj inches, did not bloom, another, slightly 

 praned once, lif inches, did not bloom ; one pruned 

 up two feet, 10| inches, did not bloom, and no fruit 

 buds set. 



One Siberian Crab, not pruned since re-set, 9'j 

 inches, bore fruit the last three years ; one pruned 

 back once severely five years ago, 6i inches, has 

 never bloomed. 



In these examples we have only given the size of 

 the trees near the ground, while the most marked 

 difference js in the branches, general dimensions, 

 and vigor of the trees, as well as the present and 

 future prospects of fruit. Contrary to the popular 



