74 
amount of control may be exercised over the branches indivi- 
dually, as well as over the system generally, by summer slop- 
ping; and when fruit cultivators, generally, can be brought to 
understand this matter in all its bearings, then, and not till 
then, will a dwarfing system be carried out, in its simplicity 
and perlection. 
In the second year, during the month of February, the four 
shoots, out of which the future fabric of the tree is to be formed, 
must be again shortened back by pruning. A foot in length 
ot each should now be left, or if the wood be thoroughly 
ripened, fifteen to eighteen inches may be allowed. In the 
course of the succeeding summer, if the tree be in a thriving 
state, its whole fabric will be formed, or nearly so; and tbe 
same course of stopping the young wood must be pursued, 
beginning with the strongest, and proceeding at intervals, in 
the ratio of strength. 
Any shoots at the lower part of the tree, of inferior character, 
must be left growing until the autumn, both at this stopping, 
and that of succeeding years; always bearing in mind, that 
when a gross shoot is pinched, that not only is the over-rapid 
enlargement of that shoot arrested, but the nourishment thereby 
previously engrossed, is, advantageously transferred to a weaker 
neighbour. 
In future years the pruning will be of a very simple charac- 
ter, ])iovided the wood is well ripened. Thinning out is the 
first principle, in order to admit light equally over the tree ; 
and for this reason two young shoots can seldom be left side 
by side, their whole length. The next great matter is to shorten 
back in a very liberal way, all the lowest placed shoots, on any 
given branch all over the tree; this is done to secure a succes- 
sion of young shoots from the lower parts of the tree, as a 
guarantee against nakedness. The third point is to shorten 
back most of tlie young shoots of the preceding summer; this 
is done for two reasons : first, in order to induce the tree to 
furnish the wall efficiently with side shoots, as extension takes 
place ; and secondly to prune away all badly ripened wood. 
The length to which the shcots are left, must be determined by 
their hardness, or ripeness, nothing more need be cut away 
than immature or late growth, and this is readily determined 
by tlie sponginess of its texture. When the wood is very weak, 
