162 
CULTIVATION OF THE TEACH. 
all cases which can possihly be conceived, 
about two moderate waterings, at intervals of a 
week or ten days, will be sufficient; and it 
will be found to be preferable to apply water 
in this manner rather than in less quantities, 
and more frequently repeated. 
This division of the subject will include the 
pruning and training of the plants from youth 
to maturity, and the operation called summer 
pruning. 
We commence with a maiden plant : by a 
maiden plant, is implied one which has been 
budded or " worked " during the previous 
season of gi'owth; and which is consequently 
a plant with the one-year-old shoot developed 
from the inserted bud, and its growth matured. 
The transplantation of the stocks previously to 
their being budded, as already spoken of, is 
the means of securing a tolerable proportion 
of root to the plants at this stage of their 
growth; the young plants should, however, 
be transplanted after being budded, and may 
either be at once removed to their permanent 
positions, which is preferable under favourable 
circumstances; or they may be planted in a 
suitable reserved situation, and there brought 
into a regular course of training for the situa- 
tions they are afterwards to occupy. What 
has been already said of transplantation will 
refer to the operation now spoken of, both as 
to the season, and the manner of performing it; 
our object in this place will be to notice only 
the pruning of the plants from this stage and 
upwards. 
The month of February is the best time to 
perform what is called the winter pruning; 
and during that month, in the season follow- 
ing the replanting of a maiden tree, it should 
be cut down to from four to six inches in 
length; this should be done just before the 
buds begin to push, which will vary in some 
trifling degree, but may generally be taken at 
about the latter end of February. From the 
portion of the stem which has been retained, 
all the buds should be removed, except three 
or five, as it may chance to be either strong 
or weak, and well or ill furnished with buds; 
previous to planting, the nature and position 
of these buds should have been examined, so 
as to fix on which should be the front, and 
which the hinder part of the tree; the roots 
will require to be laid outwards from the 
front, and the uppermost bud which is re- 
tained, should be one placed on the outer side 
of the branch; the other buds which are re- 
tained beneath it, whether two or four in 
number, should be as nearly as possible ba- 
lanced on each side of the stem, and none 
should be retained whose position is at the 
back, or that part which will como next the 
wall. The diagram, fig. 3, will explain this; 
a b represents the one-year-old shoot, and c 
the point where it should be cut through; 
'tig. 4 will show the position of the buds which 
Fig. 3 
Fig i. 
are retained, by the shoots developed on it; and 
the development of these buds will furnish the 
basis of the future head of the tree. It is possible, 
if the trees are strong, and it is desired to multi- 
ply the side branches rapidly, to obtain another 
pair of side branches, by stopping the upper- 
most or leading shoot when it has extended 
three or four joints in length, and thus to secure 
side branches from the current season's growth; 
it is, however, in every respect better to form 
the tree in a more regular and steady manner, 
as it has then an opportunity of increasing its 
constitutional vigour as it increases in size; 
which cannot take place to so great an extent 
when its growth is pushed on too rapidly. 
The proper management of these shoots, then, is, 
to train the topmost shoot upright, and the side 
shoots at an angle of 45°, or as near it as may 
be convenient, giving them, of course, an out- 
line which will adapt them to the plane surface 
of the wall. They should be encouraged to 
make as perfect growth as possible, watching 
against and destroying blight, insects, and 
mildew, and securing the free action and 
agency of as many perfect leaves as can be 
secured. The remarks hereafter to be made on 
summer pruning and treatment, will refer to 
the attention required during the growth of 
these young plants in the summer season. 
The diagram, fig. 4, represents the tree at the 
end of this season's training; d,e,f, and g, repre- 
senting nearly the points at which the branches 
should be cut the following spring. It may be 
recollected, that the treatment of the upright 
shoot is a simple repetition of the first year's 
training, and should be performed in the same 
manner; and, with a view to similar results, 
it should be shortened or cut back to the 
point h. The side branches require somewhat 
different management; the pruning they re- 
ceive during these young stages of growth, 
should be with the view of inducing an in- 
creased number of side branches; it will 
therefore be evident that the number of buds 
which are permitted to remain and become 
developed from these, must be very limited, 
for otherwise the branches will become crowded 
and confused. They may be cut back to from 
