OCTOBEK. 
213 
spring, and consequently requiring a much more severe heading-back to the 
firm and solid wood than would be necessary in the case of trees planted early 
in October, which by making a good spring growth would leave the operator at 
liberty to check the autumn growth, and divert the sap which produces it for 
the purposes of strengthening the permanent shoots. 
It is necessary here to make a few remarks as to the preparation of the 
tree. When we plant trees in a situation intended to be a permanent one, we 
plant them at such a distance apart as will allow space for the future develop¬ 
ment of the branches ; but it is very certain that for some years they may be 
grown without any detriment whatever in a much more confined space, in 
which, in fact, they may be brought up to the bearing point before being per¬ 
manently planted out; and as the operation of lifting would be equivalent to a 
careful root-pruning just at the time when it would probably be most needed, 
and also, as the trees would then be placed in an entirely new compost, it is 
only reasonable to expect that they would commence to pay for the enlarged 
space at once, which space may previously have been advantageously employed 
for other purposes. 
Now this work of preparation is one which pays well for a careful attention, and 
is worthy of a few general remarks. In order to carry out the system thoroughly, 
it is necessary to commence at first with maiden trees, or in other words, such 
as have only made one year’s growth from the bud or graft. They should be 
planted in nursery-beds in October, but should not be headed-back at the time 
of planting; this should be left until the beginning of March, at which time 
cut the shoot back to within five or six buds from the base. This first heading- 
back is against nature, but as the tree is destined to artificial management, and 
must be kept within certain bounds, it is necessarily severe ; but afterwards 
the operator should endeavour to avoid the use of the knife as much as possible, 
and this can only be effected by checking the strong shoots in their young state, 
and, either by spurring or the entire removal of superfluous growth, equalising 
the number and the strength of the permanent shoots. 
In the case of pyramids and standards, this process may be repeated from 
year to year without its becoming necessary to resort to the use of the pruning- 
knife ; but in the case of espaliers and trained trees for the wall, it will be 
necessary to head back in the second year, but not so severely, in fact from 9 to 
18 inches long, according to the strength of the shoots. Disbudding must be 
attended to early, because at this stage spurring for fruit is of no use, and it is 
only necessary to have a sufficient number of shoots to start a well-furnished 
tree, after which, if the summer work is timeously and carefully attended to, there 
will be very little use for the knife in winter, and that merely by way of re¬ 
moving the immature extremities of the shoots, or shortening those of very 
long growth, such as is sometimes seen in Peaches and Nectarines; but at the 
same time, since the effect of cutting well back is to produce a stronger growth 
of wood, it may become necessary, when a tree requires to be better furnished 
in any*particular part, to head certain shoots back, so as to supply the deficiency. 
I do not wish to be understood as decrying the proper use of the pruning-knife, 
but I do say that the indiscriminate slaughter which I have seen inflicted upon 
trees at the winter pruning, is, when we consider their sensitive nature, painful 
to witness, enhanced by the reflection that it is entirely unnecessary if only 
trees are kept clean and carefully managed through the summer. 
Six years of preparation in nursery-beds is not at all too much, and the first 
three years the trees may stand tolerably close together, but should then be all 
lifted and replanted at greater distances, and when this is done all roots having 
too much of a downward tendency should be removed, for reasons which will be 
shown hereafter. I cannot see any reason why nurserymen, whose proper busi- 
