as shewn by his figure, and as he does not particularly direct, that the graft from which the tree is raised, be inserted with its point or extreme bud perfect, he commences with a difficulty.

Mr. Knight observes, “Each variety of the apple tree has its own peculiar form of growth, and this it will ultimately assume in a considerable degree, in defiance of the art of the pruner."

In this observation he is correct, and the same may be applied to almost every kind of fruit tree; and it corroborates my opinion, that it is improper to prune or head back a tree at any period, or for any purpose, but to repair injuries.

When trees have been headed back, and have from three to five branches of nearly the same strength, it is difficult to give one the ascendency and at the same time to preserve a regular figure; but if trees are raised from the point bud, and they proceed uninjured, or unchecked, by accident or otherwise, in the manner I have before explained, the horizontals will naturally form and range themselves with regularity, immediately round the extremity of the annual shoot, and will thus prove to be at the distance, and in the position, best adapted to the nature of the tree, and the soil and situation it grows in.

A tree planted in a rich soil, and well sheltered, will attain a great height and size, and as it will require, so it will make shoots of great length, and the horizontals will form at great distances, so as to acquire a surface proportioned to its supply, and

be in a fructiferous state in its usual time; and if planted in a poorer soil, its shoots will be alike proportioned to produce the needful surface, so that there will be no necessity for cutting or stopping, which operation always proves injurious to every tree, and more particularly so to a standard, as it retards its bearing.

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A side bud should never be forced to form a perpendicular stem, but in case of necessity, fromany injury or loss of the original. The buds which are naturally arranged round the extreme or point bud, will always grow the strongest, and regularly take the lead of all below, of the same age, and form the horizontals in regular tiers; it will therefore seldom be necessary to take off any of the side branches, for at least a year or two after they are formed; if they are suffered to remain they will incline the stem to grow stouter and more conical, which will give it more strength, and also keep it more within its natural growth; after a year or two, if they are found too many and too close, they may be thinned and regulated.

By training, or rather permitting a tree to grow in this manner, it will be found, that all the effects desired, and intended to be obtained, by the old methods of training and pruning, either young or old trees, will be gained, and with very little difficulty, at its commencement, during its progress, or towards its end.

Every particle of food consumed will be profitably applied, by the whole of the sap taking its free

course, the tree will become fructiferous, in the shortest possible time, and the fruit will be so placed and sustained, as to attain the most perfect quality, and the greatest quantity.

Both the stem and the branches, by their conical shape, will be capable of resisting greater pressure from the weight of fruit, snow, wind, &c. and as large amputations will not be required, or accidental fractures so frequent, the health and progress of growth will be more regular and lasting.

And that which Mr. Knight justly states to be absolutely necessary to put a tree in a state of perfection," an equal division and distribution of the sap to every part," will be, by this mode,

obtained.

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If by any means the leading or centre branch be destroyed or injured, so as to prevent its maintaining its position, it must be shortened to some bud, which will admit of being trained up in its place, or if this cannot be done, one of the strongest and uppermost horizontals may be raised up and fastened in a perpendicular position, and whilst young, this is easily done, by tying one end of a straight stick of sufficient strength, to the stem of the tree, a foot or more below the branch it is intended to support, and then fastening the branch above to it; being fixed in this position, it will soon gain the ascendency, and perform its office; but if the stem should be destroyed so low down, that the next horizontals will be too large to be

brought up, a graft may be inserted in the stem, which will soon recover its place.

When it is desired to change the fruit of any young tree, it is better to insert one branch or graft only, in the stem, with the point bud perfect, unless for greater certainty, two be inserted, in which case, one should be removed as soon as the other has securely attached itself to the stock.

A single graft, if permitted to grow its full extent, without stopping, will not only form a regular and well disposed head in appearance, but it will also furnish as large a surface, and produce as much fruit, and in as short a time as if three or four had been permitted to grow in the usual manner; and this will, after a few years, be as free from danger of being broken by wind, snow, or otherwise, as if it had been grafted, and had grown from a stock near the ground.

With a large tree of one or more tiers of horizontals, it will be as well to insert a graft on each horizontal, as well as the stem; this will be gaining time.

Such kinds of fruit as naturally grow too much reclining, or pendulous, to raise itself to a straight stem, of sufficient height, and to form a handsome head, may be grafted on a tree already formed with horizontals in the manner last described.

The best shoots for this grafting, are those short and strong ones, which have a wood bud at the extremity, and are generally formed at the ends of the bearers.

Figure 2. in plate 3. is given as a representation of a tree with a head in its fourth year; it may be added, that when the elevation or depression of the first tier of horizontal branches is left to nature, very little attention or art will be required for their future regulation, for as the different tiers will grow parallel with each other, there will be no danger of crossing or confusion.

Hitt's explanation of his plate 7. is as follows:

Figure 1. represents a tree whose head is supposed to be only one year old, with all the branches shortened, but none taken out, which is the customary way of pruning at the time of planting, and which causes trees, when they are old, to have too many strong parts, and to be full of old wood.

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Figure 2. represents a tree with branches two or three years old, and cut according to the common method, with all the branches shortened more than the length of the last year's shoots, and no other buds left on them but such as are either prepared or preparing to blossom. But this method causes many new planted trees to be three or four years before they make any shoots.

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Figure 3. represents a tree with five branches, either one, two, or three years old, and cut after the method I practise upon the head of a tree whose shoots are not more than two feet long.

"The branches left on are at their full length; that at A. is intended for an addition to the stem, and should be one of the strongest of those standing