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Autumn pruning: — Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries, 
Cherries, Apples, Plums, Vines. 
Spring pruning: — Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Filberts, 
Pears, Figs. 
The above stand nearly in the order in which they may be 
pruned ; the reason is obvious. The bush fruits cast their 
leaves first, then the Cherries. The blossom buds, moreover, 
of all the first section, can be as well distinguished in autumn 
as in the spring ; not so, however, the latter section. In this 
division, the Apricot, the Filbert, and the Pear, cannot be dis- 
tinguished, with sufficient certainty, until they begin to bud ; 
for many of the new Pears bear freely on the young wood, — 
especially under the platform mode. The Fig is well known to 
be late, and therefore brings up the rear. It should, also, be 
borne in mind, that the future success of the gardener depends 
much on getting everything of the sort completed as much as 
possible before the month of March ; for the rapidity with 
which the business of spring then presses is notorious. 
Before proceeding further in pruning affairs, we would 
direct especial attention to one or two of the great points in gene- 
ral fruit tree management, on which alone a permanency of suc- 
cess can be based; more especially the tender kinds; for which, 
under ordinary circumstances, our summers are too short ; or, 
perhaps it may be said, too much atmospheric moisture is 
present in proportion to the amount of light. We would, in 
the way of recapitulation, urge the importance of beginning 
with the root ; that is to say, of contriving to keep it under as 
much control as possible. As before stated, however, shallow 
soils will not endure sufiiciently long without their necessary 
adjuncts — viz., sound and rather adhesive loams, and timely 
top dressings, or mulching. 
A due exposure of all parts of the tree to light, is the next 
great point; indeed this will follow, after the trees are tho- 
roughly established, as a matter of course. By the platform 
mode, very little superfluous wood, comparatively speaking, will 
be produced ; and hence a saving of labour, as well as a greater 
certainty of success. 
In the following pages we will endeavour to give directions 
for pruning ; and we hope so to classify things, tliat the most 
inexperienced will understand tliem at a single glance. 
