214 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pruning Pears, Plums, Cherries, Apples, ^c. 
As early in this month as possible finish pruning your cherries 
and plums, also your apple and pear trees before the end thereof, 
whether as espaliers, standards, or wall trees. Peaches, nectarines, 
apricots, almonds, quinces, &c. should also be pruned early in the 
month, if not done before. For the particular method of pruning 
espalier and wall trees, see the Fruit Garden for January and 
February, pages 24 and 135; and for that of the standards, the 
Orchard, pages, 46, 142, &c. This should be particularly attended 
to, and the pruning of all kinds of fruit trees finished before their 
buds begin to push. 
Pruning and training young Apricot, Nectarine, and Peach 
Trees, ^c. for Espaliers and Walls. 
Now is the only proper time to head down young wall or espalier 
trees, &c. preparatory to their first training; such as apricot, peach, 
and nectarine trees planted against espaliers or walls any time 
since last October with their first shoots, from budding at full 
length, which, when a year old, should always be headed down 
low, to force out lower branches to furnish the wall or espalier 
properly, quite from the bottom. 
This should be done just as the trees begin to swell their buds; 
therefore watch the opportunity, and let them be headed accordingly 
at the proper time. 
The heads should be cut down to about five, six, or seven eyes 
or buds from the bottom; and if there are two shoots from the same 
stock let them both be cut down as above. 
By this practice the trees will produce some strong shoots rlear 
the ground, whereby they will be furnished equally with branches 
from the bottom to the top of the wall or espalier. But if the trees 
were not to be headed-down as above, they would run up with a 
stem like a standard-tree, and not furnish any branches below, 
within two or three feet of the bottom; whereby the use of such 
part of the espalier or wall would be lost. 
Such young apricot, peach, and nectarine trees as were headed- 
down a year ago, and having each produced three, four, or more 
shoots the last summer, should now have these shortened to such 
length as may encourage each shoot to produce two or three new 
ones the same season. 
The method is this: let each shoot be shortened generally in 
some degree of proportion to its strength; in some pruning off" about 
one-half or third of their original length; and in others a little more 
or less, according to circumstances of growth and situation of the 
