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9 
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THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING. 
309 iv! 
The Moorpark (the best of Apricots) is very apt to lose its limbs suddenly, and thus many a fine 
symmetrical tree is spoiled. We opine that the mischief is occasioned by frost, in early spring, bursting 
the sap vessels. There are some who take a different view of the subject. For the information of 
those who, after pruning, nursing, and watching their fruit-trees for years, meet with this disappoint- 
ment, we may mention that Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, recommends the Gros 
rouge, or large red, as " an excellent 
variety, hardier than the Moorpark." 
THE CHERRY. 
■ Fig. 4 represents a two years' old 
branch of a Cherry-tree, in which a is a 
natural fruit -spur, and 6, b, spurs in 
process of formation, from the base of 
the young wood. Fig. 5 is a spur 
also, which has been subjected to prun- 
ing. It is thus evident that the fruit is 
borne upon the two years' old wood and 
that of greater age. Fan-shaped train- 
ing is most in use, and nurserymen 
generally prepare their trees for this 
mode. Having shaped the principal 
branches into a good fan, the art of the 
pruner has only to deal with the spur's 
by cutting out the old ones and substi- 
tuting others at their base, in the kinds 
known as the Dukes and Hearts. But 
some of the kinds produce very large 
foliage, and require the distance between 
the branches to be greater than usually 
given. 
'Pi 
i 
THE MOKELLO CHERRY. 
This tree, like the Peach, produces -*"'>• *• 
its fruit upon wood of the preceding year's growth, (see Fig. 6, in which a is a 
one year old shoot, and 6 a two years' old one). It is always trained in the fan- 
shape, and as the object is to have 
a full and regular supply of shoots 
in all parts, our directions for the 
Peach fully apply also to this. The 
Morello Cherry produces plenty of 
wood, which must not be laid in 
too thickly, if fine fruit is desired. 
This fruit is sometimes cultivated 
as a standard, and we remember 
the late Mr. John "Wilmot, of Isle- 
Fig.z. worth, showing us an orchard of this 
kind, in which the trees were annually pruned to give an abundant 
supply of young wood, by cutting away a portion of the older branches. 
The trees so treated produced large crops, which would bear comparison 
with the other fine products of this well known and successful culti- 
vator. Mr. Rivera recommends working Cherries on the Primus Mahaleb 
for miniature trees, and such must be beautiful objects for an amateur's 
garden, and not unworthy of having a small wire cage to protect them 
from birds. We remember to have seen, at Ilylauds, in Essex, a large 
garden of Dwarf Cherries covered over with wire. Like the Apricot, 
the Cherry is very susceptible of injury from large wounds of the knife; 
they are, therefore, to be avoided, by the timely removal of superfluous 
growths. 
3&Z3 
