Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/472

446] P Pv U sery. No biennial parent-branches, however, need be employed ; as these will produce new saplings only in the second year. Provisions. See Food ;Flesh- ME.A.T; and Vegetables. Prunes. See p. 413. Article Pli'm-tres. PRUNING, in gardening and the culture ot forests, denotes the lopping oif exuberant or diseased branches, with a view to reader trees more iVuitful ; to make them grow higher, and with greater re- gularity ; or to produce larger and better-tasted fruit. The greatest care is requisite in the management of vv'^all-fruit-trees, especially during the spring, when their growth is most rapid : all su- perfluous branches must be closely cut off with a sharp bill, in order that the wound may speedily heal. Those, however, which are intend- ed to bear fruit in the succeeding year, ought on no account to be shortened during their growjih ; for such operation would cause two lateral shoots to spring from the eyes beneath the part where they were cut off; and the course of the sap would be diverted : hence it becomes necessary to remove these shoots 5 as they will otherwise prove highly detrimental to the tree. Farther, Mr. Buckn.vll dire£ls all useless buds to be ritbled ojj', immediately after they appear, and not to be extirpated by the Knife 5 because new buds will shoot forth with increased vigour : others must be pinched, where new shoots are required lo sujipiy the vacancies of the wall. By tliis treaiment, fiuit- trees may be so managed, as to render the operation of pruning unnecessary dining the winter. V/ith respect to standards, it PRU will be advisable to shorten their branches only, where they are either too luxuriant, or, by growing irre- gularly, divert the current of the sap, and consequently weaken the whole. In such case, the more vi- gorous sprouts ought to be closely cut down, in order to strengthen the other parts : but these ampu- tations should not be performed oa stone-fruit trees ; M^hich are very liable to become atf.tted with the Gum, and thus, in a short time, to perish. It will, therefore, be ne- cessary in the latter instance, to pinch the straggling shoots early in the spring. — But all decaying or apparently dead branches, whe- ther belong ng to wall, or other fruit-trees, ought to be pruned closely to the stem ; because, by attra6ting noxious particles from the air, and admitting too great a degree of moisture into the ti-ee, such useless parts contaminate the lalsamic virtues of the sap, and thus eventually cause the destruc- tion of the tree, by affording 3 -nest in which insetts will deposit their eggs. -^Lastly, all branches that interseft each other, and thus occasion a confusion in the crown of the tree, ought likewise to be carefully removed ; and, as vigor- ous young shoots often spring from old arms near the trunk, and grow up into the head, they must be annually exterminated ; lest they should iill the tree with too much wood . In regard to the proper period for commencing this operation on; fruit-trees, especially in orchards, JNIr. BucKNALL is of opinion, that pruning should be first practised m the nursery, and regularly conti- nued to the " extremity of old age." Thus, it , will be advisable to take off only a small quantity of wood