A correspondent has furnished us with the following text: "At what times in the year should the different kinds of pruning be performed, in the cold latitudes of the north and in the milder climates of the south ?"

We hold that pruning in general, in our northern climates, is safest after the severe frosts of winter are over, immediately before the swelling of the buds. When performed early in the winter, or in the autumn, as is practised properly in mild climates, the ends of the cut shoots dry up, shrivel and die: losing the buds intended to make leading shoots; and leaving dead points that require much labor to prune off afterwards; or if large branches are cut off, leaving a broad, fresh surface, the wood and bark dry up and require a long time to heal. We perform most of our pruning in the month of March, although a great deal of the less exact nursery pruning is done in February. Southward, as the winter is mild and spring early, we should prefer pruning very early in the winter or immediately after the fall of the leaf, because activity in the functions of the tree commences early, or scarcely ceases, as we must believe it does during our intensely cold weather, and by pruning early we economize the sap and strength of the tree.

"Pruning in the season when the leaves are on" The only pruning we hold to be sound, safe, and commendable, at this season, is that of the finger and thumb, in other words pinching. It is quite inconsistent with good management to rear a crop of shoots and then cut them away. This can only be avoided by nipping superfluous and misplaced shoots at two or three inches of growth, before they attain to woodi-ness. This economises the force of the tree and turns it into a channel where it will promote, instead of frustrating, the ends we are aiming at For instance, if we plant a young tree, and have pruned it with a view to a certain form, and contrary to our expectations a shoot breaks out at an unexpected point, and assumes a vigorous habit and robs all the other parts, it would evidently be unwise to tolerate this intruder until it arrives at full growth and then cut it away. Too many trees are thus managed, by the neglect of summer pruning or pinching. We admit, however, that there are cases in which the summer pruning, or entire lopping off or cutting out branches of considerable size, may be judicious and safe.

For instance, in the case of neglected orchard trees, in a luxuriant state, with dense heads in which the fruit is deprived of air and light In such cases, branches may be thinned out, and the cut surface heals over more rapidly and smoothly than at any other time. But it is unsafe to produce any very sensible diminution of foliage, as it arrests the growth of the tree.

All pruning in the growing season, tends to arrest growth. Nurserymen know that a slight pruning of stocks before budding, will so arrest growth as to make the bark adhere firmly; when, before the pruning, it lifted freely. It is on this principle that most all pruning, to promote fruitfulness, must be done, at a point of a greater or less activity of growth. Late spring pruning is often resorted to as a means of subduing a superabundant vigor, and it has the same effect as root pruning to a certain extent.