116 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Suggestions on Pruning.III. 
BY A. 0. MOORE, NEW-YORK. 
[ Continued from page 81 ] 
The first direction to the pruner will be, obtain 
a definite and correct idea of what you wish to do be¬ 
fore you touch the tree. A general vague convic¬ 
tion that fruit trees need pruning or thinning out 
to keep an open head, by removing weak and con¬ 
flicting branches constitutes the whole stock of 
information with which most persons commence 
the yearly attack upon the orchard. There is no 
careful study of the habits and peculiarities of 
each species of tree ; no thought of what each 
individual tree has done in the past, or is expect¬ 
ed to do in the future, whether it is prematurely 
forming fruit buds, or running to wood too luxu¬ 
riantly ; no special care for a weak but important 
shoot which is receiving too little nourishment 
because a gourmand above it is monopolizing all 
the sap and sunlight; no calculation for future 
years, that the foundation now laid shall be the 
basis of a sufficient number of branches, filling ad¬ 
vantageously every part of the tree while none 
shall crowd or interfere with its neighbors. Gen¬ 
erally, young trees are left to themselves, and 
when half grown the top is found to be a thicket 
of brush. Then the tree is said to need pruning 
and the attack is made. The saw and ax are 
brought, and in a single hour one third of the top 
is cut out. A tree should never in this sense 
need pruning. The difficulty should be avoided, 
rather than remedied ; so that instead of felling 
great branches, the finger and thumb, or at most 
the pruning knife will be sufficient to direct the 
growth of stalwart limbs. 
First then, fix in your mind the general form of 
a perfect tree of the variety you are about to oper¬ 
ate upon ; and to this ideal as nearly as possible 
train your subject, not of course arbitrarily, or in 
one year, but by patiently studying the peculiari¬ 
ties of your tree, bring it gradually to the de¬ 
sired form. In respect to their shape, fruit trees 
may be classified into: globular or round headed 
trees, like the apple ; semi-globular or goblet 
shaped, as the peach ; and the pyramidal , or con¬ 
ical, like the pear and the cherry. It is important 
that while we divert nature from her wonted 
course to fulfill our especial ends, we do no vio¬ 
lence to her principles. Faults there are to be 
corrected, deficiencies to be supplied, but always 
obediently to the guidance of nature. There is a 
typical form, then, for each variety of tree, which 
should be regarded from the commencement. 
In the January number of the Agriculturist , 
(page 24,) was given a drawing of a badly shaped 
tree to which I may be excused for referiing the 
reader, as it will render the subsequent remarks 
more easily understood, to have the faults there 
pointed out fresh in the mind, and by comparing 
that tree with Fig. 1, on the left, the 
advantages of the latter form will be 
readily seen. I have here endeavor¬ 
ed to represent a well pruned tree of 
the round headed class. Though 
full grown the hight of the tree is not 
more than 20 feet; the lower branch¬ 
es start at 4 or 5 feet from the ground, 
nearly at right angles with the main 
stem. (A “ Fork ” caused by two 
nearly equal branches diverging at an 
acute angle should always be pre¬ 
vented.) The branches are com¬ 
paratively short and thick, filling up 
well the middle and lower parts of 
the tree ; while the upper branches 
are not dense enough to intercept the 
light and air required by the lower ones. 
Fig. 2, represents a tree of the pyramidal shape. 
The attempt to compel a tree having a natural 
tendency to either of these forms to assume the 
other, would be attended with much unavailing 
trouble and probably with positive injury. 
But how is this form to be secured 1 The great 
difficulty is to make the lower branches grow 
thrifty and in due proportion to the upper ones. 
The whole secret lies in the management of the 
buds. Every shoot and branch commences life as 
a bud, and it is in infancy that their proper num¬ 
ber and position must be determined. Leave no 
As the selection of well formed trees from 
the nursery is of the utmost importance to us, 1 
would give in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, various forms of 
trees about the age usually obtained from the 
Fig. 3. 
(Showin 
Fig. 5. 
Fig. 6. 
Fig. 2—A Tree of the Pyramidal form. 
more buds upon a shoot whose growth you wish 
to increase than can be maintained in perfect 
vigor. This will generally be about one third of 
the number of buds produced, so that of those 
shoots designed to receive the largest develop¬ 
ment two-thirds of the last year’s growth must be 
cut off. These should be shortened in before they 
start in the Spring. If still the upper branches 
grow too strong, Summer pinching will furnish 
the requisite discipline for them, of which more 
anon. This system of pruning must be com¬ 
menced in the first or second year of the nursery 
plant. 
the different forms of Nursery Trees.) 
nursery. It will not be difficult to decide that Fig. 3 
is a poor specimen, having been grown in a crowd¬ 
ed nursery row, and the lower part of the stem, 
in consequence, is unfurnished with branches. 
No treatment can make this a satisfactory tree, 
and if a better one is obtainable the most eco¬ 
nomical disposition of this tree is to add it to the 
wood pile. Fig. 4 is better, and may, by severe 
shortening-in, be made to produce a well shaped 
head from the branches now 
upon the stem, but below 
these it will be difficult to de¬ 
velop a symmetrical growth. 
Fig. 5 is quite as good as the 
average of nursery trees, and 
by proper pruning may be 
made a well shaped tree, but 
Fig. 6 is a perfect form, and 
has been properly cared for 
from the first year. It is of 
far more importance to have 
a properly shaped tree than 
one of large growth or great 
age. 
The difference in the early 
pruning of the round headed 
and the pyramidal tree, is, 
that in the latter one central 
shoot should always be left 
as a leader and no rival al¬ 
lowed to grow perpendicular¬ 
ly ; the other branches, grow¬ 
ing laterally, the lowest being 
the longest; while in the 
round shape, three or four 
shoots of equal vigor and im¬ 
portance are encouraged, all 
attempts to preserve a leader 
abandoned after the “ head ” 
is of the proper hight. 
As a summary of the points 
to be especially regarded in 
pruning, I would give the fol- 
I lowing rules: 
1st. Study the requirements of the tree as to 
shape and relative vigor of the branches. 
2nd. Leave upon the shoots no more buds than 
can be maintained with the requisite vigor. 
3d. The position of the remaining buds should 
be such, that when the branches are all grown with 
their future ramifications they will not interfere 
with each other. 
4th. To increase the growth of a weak branch, 
prune it close at the Winter or Spring pruning, and 
preserve all the Summer shoots without pinching. 
5th. To diminish an over luxuriant branch, leave 
a greater number of buds upon it, by pruning less 
