See how it is laden with those rich productions. — 

 Do 3^ou not perceive the sweet fragrance and fine 

 aroma ? Taste my fruit and drink my wine, and see 

 the exquisite deh'ght it produces, and you will no 

 longer doubt my philosophy. 



Stop, my gentle hearers ! Do not imbibe too deep 

 into its nectar and be carried away with its sublim- 

 ity ; for we have to hear the opposite side. Open 

 the book of Nature and you will not find a word in 

 favor of cutting back a tree, or shortening-in its 

 laterals. If, in its youth, it is shorn of its glory, 

 it makes a strong effort to regain its loss, by send- 

 ing forth a number of vigorous shoots to regain its 

 crown, and conceal its mutilations. If beset with 

 storm or tempest it braces itself up by sending forth 

 strong roots, contracting its top, enlarging its trunk 

 and multiplying its laterals. If in the grove or dense 

 forest, it bids defiance to the destroying elements,and 

 raises its head up majestically to receive the light 

 and breathe the pure air. If assailed by enemies 

 that threaten its destruction, it is not willing to give 

 up the struggle in quiet submission, but hastens to 

 maturity to make provision to perpetua<^e its spe- 

 cies. So, wherever we behold it, in the grove, 

 prairie or dense forest, it always adapts itself to the 

 surrounding circumstances and makes the best of 

 its condition. It is not doubtful, mistaken or de- 

 ceived : no enticing hand can divert it from the 

 right course. It seeks nourishment and light in 

 the direction they are most easily and quickly ob- 

 tained. In vain may we, in our ambition, endeavor 

 to instruct it to fulfil its duty, but it stands as a 

 monument from time immemorial, without changing 

 its character, and, even in death, as an emblem of 

 contemplation and admiration. 



Again, the Dr. sa3^s "pruning is one of the most 

 important operations to be applied to plants; prun- 

 ing, in some sort, has to be performed at all periods 

 of their existence and growth. We prune our plants 

 for the most opposite purposes. Thus it appears 

 that the ends to be obtained by pursuing the prac- 

 tice of this important operation are exceedingly di- 

 verse and apparently contradictory. Nor is it any 

 wonder that the novice should feel bewildered in 

 the midst of directions so opposite ; nor even that 

 those who have grown gray in the orchard should 

 have arrived at the conclusion so strange as not to 

 prune at alV^ 



Here we have the whole pith of this beautiful 

 system of pruning in a nut-shell, and the Dr. ap- 

 pears to see its force and difliculty, for he does not 

 y-onder that the novice should feel bewildered, nor 

 the experienced orchardist, who has grown gray in 

 the business, should not prune at all ; yet he thinks 



it strange that he should arrive at such conclusions. 

 If neither the novice or experienced can comprehend 

 its philosophy or come to its conclusions, then we 

 are placed in a sad dilemma, — for who will be able 

 to deliver us from it ? 



In fact, this system of pruning is based upon the 

 assumption that trees are naturally in an abnormal 

 condition, and require continual pruning to restore 

 them to their normal state. While we may admit 

 they are often found in such a state, we deny it be- 

 ing their natural condition. We believe Nature is 

 true and unerring in all her works, developing every 

 part in just proportion and at the proper season, 

 when placed under congenial influences. This being 

 the case, pruning is only a secondary consideration, 

 and not primary, as generally taught. 



But, let us hear the Dr. again. He says, "The 

 judicious prunCi being well aware of the upward 

 tendency of the j'oung growth, and that this is in- 

 creased by the crowded condition of the tree in the 

 nursery square, seeks to overcome the evil by proper 

 pruning." Here he conveys the idea that the upward 

 tendency of the young growth is an etv7, and their 

 crowded state in the nursery increases it ; conse- 

 quently we should prune to overcome this evil. 



If this upward tendency of growth is an evil, then 

 Nature is in fault in impressing them with such pe- 

 culiarities ; and if the crowded state in the nursery 

 produces it, then we are in fault in placing them 

 under such conditions : so we cannot see the pro- 

 priety of pruning in either case while they are con- 

 trolled by such influences. 



Again, in contrasting the growth and production 

 of wood with the tree's fruitfulness, the Dr. says, 

 "these two acts are, in some sense, antagonistic — 

 The first is essential to the production of timber to 

 the building up of the tree, and should be encour- 

 aged to doits work, undisturbed, to a certain point, 

 that we may have a substantial frame-work by 

 which our fruits can be supported. The latter how- 

 ever is the ultimate desideratum with fruitgrowers ; 

 and, in our impatience to reap a quick reward, we 

 often resort to measures that tend to curtail the 

 usefulness, size and beauty of our trees, as well as 

 their performance. " This is an illustration of the 

 axiom, that whatever threatens the vitality of a plant 

 tends to make it fruitful." 



"The operations of summer pruning and pinching 

 constitute an interference with the growth, by ex- 

 tehsion and threaten the life of the tree." Here 

 we can fully concur with the Dr., and had he. after 

 stating what he found in nature, confined himself 

 to the facts he found in art, it would have sufficed 

 without endeavoring to harmonize a system, which 



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