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semi-globe, radiated pyramid, &c., or left to assnmc its natura l shape. If a coiic or pyramid bn dotennined
on, a leading upright shoot must be carefully preserved, aud the side shoots kept a t regular distances
from each other, being equally extended, as far as practicable, on both sides of the main stem, and keeping
always in view the ultimate figure. If a globe is to be produced, no shoot must be pennitted to take tho
load, but a number encouraged to radiate upw-ards from tho g ra ft; and these should be kept as rogular as
possible, both in regard to distance from each other, and of thcir extremities from the centreof the globe.
If the tree is to be left to its natural shape, which, in our opinion, is by far tho best mode, it will, in the
apple, pear, cherry, and most other fruit-trees, assume something of the conical shape, at least for some
years ; but whatever shape it has a tendency to assume, that shape must not be counteracted by the
primer, whose operations must be chiefly negative, or directed to thinning out weak and crowded shoots,
and preserving an equal volume of branches on one sideof the tree as on the other: in technical language,
preserving its balance. Knight’s directions for this mode of pruning, both in his T rea tise on the A p p le
a n d P c a r , and iu different papers in the H o r ticu ltu ra l Transac tions, arc particularly valuable. For the
apple andall standard trees he recommends that the points of the external branches should be every where
rendered thin and pervious to the lig h t ; so that th e internal parts of the tree may not be wholly shaded
hy the external p a r ts ; th e light should penetrate deeply into the tree on every s id e ; but not any where
through it. When th e prune r has judiciously oxecutcd his work, every p a rt of th e tree, internal as well
as external, will be productive of f r u it; and the internal part, in unfavourable seasons, will ra the r receive
protection than injury from the external. A tree thus pruned will not onlyproduce much more fruit,
but will aiso be able to support a much heavier load of it, w ithout danger of being bro k e n ; for any given
weight will depress the branch, not simply in proportion to its quantity, but in the compound proportion
of its quantity and of its horizontal distance from tho point of suspension, by a mode of action similar to
th a t of th e weight on the beam of tho steelyard ; and hence 10 pounds’ weight a t the extremity of a
branch 15 ft. long, will depress it more than 1.50 pounds would if suspended within 1 loot's distance of
the trunk. Every tree w'ill, therefore, support a larger weight of fruit without danger of being broken,
iu proportion as the parts of such weight are made to approach nearer to its centre. H itt recommends that
th e shape or figure of standards should be conical, like the natural grow'th of th e fir tr e e : and this fonn,
or the ¡lyramidal or sub-cylindrical (cn quenouille, Fr.),isdecidedlyprefcrred by th e French, and universally
employed both by them and the Dutch.
25.50. I n p i-u n in g to fo rm dw a r j-s ta n d a rd s (hassc 'tige s, F r.), the plants being received from the nursery,
furnished with shoots of one years’s growth, are to be cut down to three or four buds, which buds will
throw out other shoots the following year, to form the bush or dwarf. If these buds throw out, during
th e second year, more than can grow the third year without crossing or intermixing with each other,
then the superfluous shoots must be cut off; but if they are too few to form a head regularly biil;inccd, or,
in other words, projecting equally beyond th e stem on all sides, then one or more of th e shoots in the
deficient part must be cut down to three or four eyes, as before, to fill up by shoots of the third year the
vacancies in the bush. In this way must the tree be treated year after year,cutting away all cross-placed
branches and crowded shoots, till at last it shall iiave formed a head or bush, globular, oblong, or of any
other shape, according to its n a tu re ; observing, in every form, to keep all the shoots so far distant from
each other as not to exclude the sun’s rays, air, or rain, from the blossoms aud fruit.
2551. I n n a tu ra l cliuarfs o r hushes (a rhre s en buisson, Fr.) the branches arc permitted
to advance in their natural mode of growth, being only thinned, or shortened, or deprived
of supcrnuTucrary side shoots, as already described.
2552. P ru n in g h a lf standards is conducted exactly on the same general principles as
pruning dwarfs ; the only difference between tlicm being, that in the ono case the bush
or head is close to the ground, and in the other it is elevated from it 3 ft. or 4 ft.
Of the cominon liardy fruit-trees, it may bo observed, that the apple, plum, quince,
medial’, and mulbeny form a forked irregular head, and the pcar and chcny a more
regular cone or distaff, with laterjil branches proceeding from au upright stem. The
French are pa.rticularly expert iu priming their pear trees into this last form, assisted
sometimes by a rod to train the central shoot.
2553. V a rio u s other modes o f p rum n g fru it-tre e s to make them assume p a rtic u la r shapes
have been practised. AU forms, however, which require constraint, as hcing contraiy
to the natural shape of the bush and tendency of the branches, can only be maintained
by continual exertion in counteracting nature; and trees so constrained and cut generally
throw out such a superfluity of useless wood, as greatly to lessen tlieir tendency to
produce blossom-buds. It is trae, that these useless shoots may be shortened to spurs
every yeai- hy pruning; but the spurs tlms fonncd will only bear shoots, and not blossoms;
and, in a few years, will present a deformed mass of knots.
2554. P ru n in g , f o r the modification o f fru it-tre e s tra in e d on w a lls (en espalier, Fr.), or
on espaliers (en contre-espalier, Fr.), depends on the principle of training which may be
adopted. The selection being made of such shoots as are requisite for carrying on the
form of the training tree, the others are to be cut off, first on the general principles
recommended for all cutting (2316.) ; and secondly, according to the particular nature
of the tree. All trees wliich ai-e much cut or constrained have a tendency to throw
out over-luxuriant shoots at particular parts of the branches where the sap is suddenly
checked; such shoots seem to employ the great body of the sap, and thus divert it from
performing its functions in the other parts of the branch or tree. The largest of these
shoots, tho French term gourmands, or gluttons; and the smaller ones, wliicli have thcii-
leaves very distant and tho wood slender, with hardly any appearance of buds in the
axilliB of the leaves, they term water-shoots. As soon in the growing season as the
character of both these sorts of shoots, especially of the latter, is known, tlicy ought to be
pinched off, with the exception of some eases, at the discretion of an intelligent pruner,
where the gourmand may fill up a vacancy, supply the place of a decaying branch, or
otherwise be so situated as to assist in forming the tree. This chiefly happens when they
are thrown out on the sides of wall-trees, so as to admit of being checked by a horizontal
or an oblique position iu training. What are called fore-right and back shoots, or such as
are thrown out nearly at right angles to the training surface, ought to be rubbed or
piiiched off, as ill adapted for training, or beiug applied to the training surface; but with
the same exceptions as for gourmands. Where the grand object is fruit, however, it is
well remarked by Marshall (In tro d . to G a rd .), “that in this matter, the end in view is
not to bo sacrificed to fanciful precision.”
2555. P ru n in g to promote the fo rm a tio n o f blossom-buds depends on the nature of the
tree. The peach and nectarine, for example, produce their blossoms on the precediiig
year’s wood; consequently the great art of praning a peach tree is to have a regular
distribution of young wood over every part uf it. This tho tree has a natm-al tendency
to effect itself, and all that is required from the pruiicr is, when these shoots arc too
abundant, to rub them off in the summer pruning; and, where they arc too few, to cut
or shorten some of the less valuablo branches or shoots in the winter pruning. In
apples, pears, plums, cherries, quinces, and medlars, the blossoms arc chiefly iiroduced
on sliort leafy protuberances, called spurs, which form themselves naturally along tho
sides of the shoots. The apricot produces blossoms on the last year’s wood, and ou
spurs and small twigs from the shoots of the second year preceding. The pi'oduction
of bcai-iiig or blossom buds is sometimes promoted by cutting out weak wood, by
which what remains is strengthened; and shortening or stopping the shoots of the vine
ill summer is believed by many to have the same effect. The rose, syringa, althcea fratex,
and many shrabs, produce their blossoms on the wood of the present year; and to give
vigour to such plants, it is desirable, when blossoms are wanted in these shrabs, to cut
down both old and new wood.
2556. P ru n in g f o r the enlargement o f the f r u i t is effected cither by diminishing the
nmnber of blossom-bearing branches, or shortening them; both which operations depend
on tho nature of the tree : tho mode of shortening is pai-ticulai-ly applicable to the vine,
the raspberry, and to old kerncl-fruit-trces.
2557. P ru n in g f o r ad justing ihe stem and branches to ihe roots is almost solely applicable
to transplanted trees; in which it is an essential operation, and should be perfoi-med,
in general, in the interval between removal and replanting, when the plant is cntii-ely
out of the ground. Supposing only the extremities of the fibres broken off, as is the
case in very small plants and seedlings, then no part of the top will require to be removed
; but if the roots have been broken or bruised in any of their main branches or
ramifications, then the pinner, estimating tho quantity of root of which the plant is
deprived by tlic sections of fracture and other circumstances, peculiar and, general, will
be able to form a notion of what was the bulk of tho whole roots before tho tree was
disturbed. He may then state tho question of lessening the top to adjust it to the
roots thus :—As the wholc quantity of roots which the tree had before removal, is to
the whole quantity of branches which it now has or had ; so is the quantity of roots which
it now has, to the quantity of top which it ought to have. In selecting the shoots to
be removed, regard must be had to the ultimate chm-actcr the tree is to assmne; whether
a standard, or trained fruit-tree, or ornamental bush. In general, bearing-wood and
weak shoots should bo removed ; and the stronger lateral and upright shoots, with leaf
or shoot eyes, left.
2558. P ru n in g f o r renew al o fth e head is perfonned by cutting over the stem a little
way, say its own thickness, above the collar, or tlic surface of the ground, Tliis practice
applies to old osier-beds, coppicc-woods, and to young forest-trecs. Sometimes also
it is performed ou old or ill-thriving fruit-trees, which ai-e headed down to the top of
thoir stems.
2559. P ru n in g f o r curing disease has acquired much celebrity since the time of
Forsyth, whose amputations and scarifications for the canker, together with the plaster
oi- composition wliich he employed to protect the wounds from air, are treated of at hu-ge
in. his T re a tise on F r u it Trees. Almost all vegetable diseases either have thcir origin
in.the weakness of the individual, or induce a degree of weakness; hcncc to amputate
a part of a diseased tree is to strengthen the remaining pai't, because the roots rcmaiiiing
of the same force, the same quantity of sap will be thrown upwards as when the head and
branches were entire. II’ the disease be constitutional, or in the system, this practice
may probably, in some cases, communicate to the tree so much strength as to enable it
to throw it off; if it be local, the amputation of the part will at once remove tlic disease,
and strengthen the tree.
2560. F o r the rem oval o f diseases, wholc branches, tho entire head, single shoots, or
merely tho diseased spot in the bark or wood, may require to be cut off. In the rcmoviil
of merely diseased spots, cai-o must be talceii to remove the whole extent of the part
affected with a part of the sound wood and bark; and, in like manner, in amputating a
diseased shoot or branch, a few inches or feet of healthy wood should bo taken away at.
the same time, to make sure of removing all contamination.
2561. P ru n in g ihe roots o f trees. What effect it would have on the roots of trees, if
they could be exposed to view, and subjected to pruning and training, as well as the
branches, it is not easy, in many cases, to determine; but where they arc diseased, or
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