The Art Of Pruning

Graftiog, buddinj?, prtmltíg, aro all arts that must bo iequirod, liko any other art or work of skill. A pruner must understand why lie pruiiun, and never cut a limb wilhout first heing fully awaro of the effect. Y et pruning is mostly done íit raudoin - a liinb here and a limb thora hs ent away, tho top lessened and that is nll. Tho fruitfuluess of tho tree is iiot improved, and it looks as n syetematic woik, suob as nature builds, most decidedly injured. It is idle for any man of uomuion .setise to omploy (in itinerant primer. Thuy are often ignorant of the first principios of tho art, and generidly dü more harm than good. If you doubt t, ask the quesliun of one vvhen he is to cut off a limb : " What for ? " If ho ciin auswer that to your satiafaottoo, ho possibly understands his business, provided you can answer the question j'oursulf. - Nover cut avvay a limb without firstasking and ansvvering that qliaation - what for? If you understand tho art, you may have trees of any desired form, and always of handsome shupe. The right time to pruae is in the grovving season - the time wheu wouuds heal the most readily. Tho time to begin ia the iirst year's growth iu the nursery; not to trim up sprouts to grow whip-stalked, but to shape the trees just as nature iutended the particular species to grow. If an apple treo, a short bola with a round Ryrmnetrical head ; if a pear treo, a somewhat louger bolo, with a top shaped like a well-formed slim hayatack. As a general rulo in pruning study symmetry ; it is thb first luw of beauty ; if you uot see ït othenviso, try it upon yourself ; lop off a right BSr, or a left oye, a right hand, and so on, ust as lütliö pruuers do the symmetrical beauties oí a tree. In pruuiug all sorts of fruit trees keep, " What for 't'" constantly befoie your eyes. Theru is a tendency to over-prune among all amateur fruit growers, and more particularly among all who arejust beginning to grow shrubs and treen. - Thero is uo praotice that needs reform more than this one. ïhere is no quicker way of spoiliug such trees thau this injnrious over-pruning. ïhero is not ono forest tree in ten that will bear the eternal elipping to wbich some are subjected. Autumu seems to be the mosc favorite tiine fur this sort of vandalism. Thero is nothing like the let alone system, and above all, for all sorts of evergreen trees, With very little assistauce, nature will do all the prunning tbat is required. Of ever-greens do not cut away the lower limbs till you make your tree liko a big broom with the haudle sïuck in the ground. In all pruning of fruit or ornamental trees, or shrubs or vines, do not make a cut till you think what for, with what object, and what will be the effect. This is always oeeessary.to prevent over-pruning. Never prune an applo tree in the mnnih of Mareh, April or Muy. All the borers in the world dj uot commit half the havoc in our orchards that th pruning-knife and saw do, applied at the wrong season of the yt-ar. I am an advocate for pruning young trees in summer with the thinub and finger, or a p oket-knifa, so coostantly and regularly that thoy will not need the suw. If that must hu applied, let it be in midsummer. With me that course is the most suocessful.