Talk About Pruning

píflipn Jrps. Fr in the Awei'ic n AgncuUurist. Aí llie feason '(' yetir s just ni hand v. l.irii many vi ha udiiere lo th oíd, thougjt not coniinendibta, praetiee of Spring prnninjr, will be Kharpening tticir tools ÍV i f tbe annuul ■' trimraing,'1 wo bg leave to inentiou a lew leadme p:i c.{ los lying ai tho base of ibis ope1'; ti n. in Iho oíitstít, t muy lia pufcly said Ihut lliel'e U nlloyc't !L-r tut) nuicb pi'uniiiij d' n ■ ; cr at least, ttiat it is perlnrméú wi.ll loo ron gil and oaii.lo.-s a hand. lt is seareely inore a !iht matter to a ttee to liave oue of its large branches lopped olí', tlian for a maa to have bis arm uinpututed . The body oí' an aniinul has no rcdundaucy, no surplus parts whieh may be removed, and the iiiatu Irm-turo continue just ua vigoroías as betore. May not e infer, therelore, frorn unalogy, thut every p-.irt oi tiie vegttdble is nceded to preserve tu heaith, and lo enaWu it to fullili the de.-ign of nature ? All obseri'g gardunors koow ihat Ule several parís oí a tree or plant are closely conneeted, and that orio porüon cannot be ifijured without at the sanio thnc injuripg others. Cut óff or mar a braDCh, and at once a port.on of the root fcela the blow and suií'ers from it. So, il' you cut off a root, the injury is lelt among the branches. Nor ia ihis surirising il, assonie say, the brancbie onlyan extensión ol' the root, everybad nbove giound baving a corresponding btid or rootlet below. But whether this exact bahweo of parta exist or oot, there is, without qnestion,a nice sympathy and corresjiondence oí growtb and health between them. If 1 pruno tho topoi a tree closely for se m:j1 wuceest-ive yeart, I do in lact prune the roo:.-: al.so, and vice versa. ïi a tree has an abundance of roots. Jleoee wo see vvhy we are direoted to prune abedge in ruid-8unraer, if wo wian to reatrain its growth and keep it sta:ionary. l'runed in Spring, there is no 1"68 of foliage, bat a rapid.determination of sap into the renaining buda, (to restore the balance between root and brunuh,) and henee a vigoróos growth. Henee, too. we see vhy it s bettar to tran?plant sir.all trees than large ones. ïl;e tiist can be taken up with little mutilaiioii of root and branch, and when again set out, they go ou their way almost as if they had not been disturbed. The latter can not bo ' unearthed without culting oí}' and mangüng many of their roots, and so introducing derangemeot and disease into the whole structure. Sometfaing can be done, it is true, fowards restoring the equüibriutn oi the parts, by cutting o ft" a largo portion of the branches at the time of tr..nsplanting ; but this give:5 tho tree auother severo liock ; it deprives it ol a large part of its elaborating organs, and so, between the doublé abuso, it is a long time bofore it recovers - il it ever does - froin the severe injuries. The effect of injudieioua pruning may be seen in almost every orchard. llow many a large limb is hewn oö, and the stump, DOt being proporly piotected from tho elements. decays and biings ditease into the entire tree ! The natural lifo of the apple-tree, when growing in the field undisturbed, is ubout a century of years; yet in many of our orchards, il 6eldom reachevs bevond half that period. So much lor civilization ! Must we, therefore, not prune at all ? By no means. It is the heroic style we inveigh against, and would have dispensed with as soon as possible. Moderato and tiinely pruning hus much to recommend it. The beauty of a tree and fruillulness may be promoted by it, and that with little injury to the tree's health. Plainly, however, to accomplish this, the work rnust be begun very earlv, and take the character of training rather than pruning; (ke cxcis'on búng done mos'ly with thumb anfmger, or with no more formidable instrument than a jack-knife. Lot the saw be broken, and the hatcbet buried. In pruniug for beauty, ul that is needful. is to begin with the young tree, nip out any cross-branches that appear, pinch off any one-sided, ill-shaped shoots, and endeavor to keep the tree Kymmetrical. Within such general limits, let tho tree develop its own peenliarities, aud it wül bo beautiful according to its kind. Whenever a branch lurger than ona'8 little finger must be taken off, the woun.l should be covered with grafting wax or shellac. In pruning for fruitlulness, the aim is to impodo the perpendicular flovv of sap, and the tendency to make more wood. This is often efi'ecteu by cutting out the central shoot, and by favoring, in various ways, a horizontal growth cf branches. This checks the wood making force, and promotes a deposition of fruit buds. This also gives the tree a more globular shaped head, and 80 exposes tho fruit to light and air, and improves its appoaranco and flavor. As to the best timo of year for pruning, this may depend sotnewhat upon tho object wo wish to accomplish. If we want to guido tho growth of the tree inlo now directions, or to 6timulate a slunted tree, the last of Winter, or very early in Spring may answer, though tho best auihorities prefer the Fall or late Summer. But, to diminish rapid growtb, to promote fruit-bearing, and for most other purposes, tho early Sutnmer is the best time. Alter pruning in Spring, Üiere is apt to bo a troublesome growth of guckers, just below the wound, increasing tho evil which it was designed to roniedy. Then, too, tho flow of crude sap in tho Spring is so very strong, it t diflicuit to stop it; itoozes out froin tüe wounds, and runs down, corroding tke UJTouddiug bark and ood, often engendering deeay. But when pruning is doue in tho month of June, tho wounds are protected by tho foliage, the first strong upward flow of sap is tflaborated into cambium or new wood, wbioh begins at once tto heal over tho wounds, and to preserve them Irom decay. ii ui