viii PHEF AGE. . , 



When young trees are planted out from the Nurfery, as foon as 

 they begin to break in the Spring, they are cut clown to three or 

 four eyes, according to their ftrength, to furnifh them with bearing 

 wood : if this were not done, they would run up in long naked - 

 branches, and would not produce one quarter of the fruit which 

 they do when this operation is properly performed. The fame 

 holds good in heading all kinds of old trees. 



An opinion prevails, : particularly in thofe parts where Apple- 

 trees are cultivated to any conhderable extent, that trees never 

 bear well after heading-down, and that it frequently kills them. 

 This may, no doubt, happen when they are improperly headed- 

 down all at -once, by giving a fudden check to the fap, the few 

 weak /boots not having ftrength to draw up what is fupplied by 

 the rods; and moreover, not being capable of flickering one 

 another, -they are chilled by the cold, and fo rendered at lea ft un- 

 productive, if they are not totally killed. But if heading were 

 done gradually, that is, if every other branch all over the tree 

 were headed at a proper length, cutting as near to thofe parts 

 Where the moots appear as poffible, in the month of February or 

 March, or even as late as May, in the courfe of the Summer they 

 would throw out fine long moots. Thefe mould not be mortened,, 

 the nrft year, unlefs it be ncceflary to morten a few to fill up the 

 head of the tree with bearing wood, and that mould be done in 

 the following Spring; cutting them to fix or eight inches long, 

 according to their ftrength. In the next Spring after the firff. 

 branches are headed, the remaining old branches may be cut out; 

 and thefe will foon fill the head of the tree with fine bearing wood. 

 In three years, if properly managed, tree? fo headed will produce 

 a much greater . quantity of fruit arid of a better quality than they 

 did before the operation was performed. 



