HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH 405 



of an acre— was divided into three equal sections, one being 

 regularly pruned early in the autumn, the other in mid-winter, 

 the third in the spring ; during the eight years throughout 

 which the records extended, the three sections showed no 

 appreciable difference, the total values of the crops being in the 

 proportion of 109 : 94 : 100. 



Summer Pruning 



The results obtained at Woburn on summer pruning are 

 not yet complete and are still somewhat ambiguous. So far, 

 the performance of the ordinary annual pruning in summer 

 instead of in winter has led to no appreciable alteration in the 

 behaviour of the trees, either as regards their growth or their 

 fruiting. But under the general term "summer pruning" are 

 included other operations which fall short of actual pruning and 

 are generally followed by ordinary pruning at the end of the 

 season. These operations consist of anything which will check 

 the growth of the twigs and lead to the swelling of the buds 

 lower down on the stems. Sometimes the ends of the shoots are 

 pinched off; or the shoots may be partially broken and left 

 hanging on the trees ; or they may be twisted between the 

 thumb and fingers, so as to be injured. In many cases, no 

 doubt, the buds below the point of injury receive, inconsequence, 

 a larger supply of nourishment than they would otherwise do 

 and they become converted into fruit-buds for the following 

 season. Such a result, however, is somewhat uncertain and is 

 dependent on the character of the weather following the 

 operation ; for if this favour vigorous growth, the buds which 

 should only have swelled will be forced into activity and the 

 result will be a mass of summer growth, consisting of short 

 twigs which will not ripen properly and will have to be cut 

 away in the winter. 



Influence of the Age of the Tree 



All that has been said above as regards pruning applies to 

 trees which are still in what may be termed the growing stage 

 and in some respects will have to be modified when it is a 

 question of older trees. This is so as regards the principle 

 that we get more growth according as the pruning is more 

 restricted. It must be recognised that with trees, as with 

 animals, there are certain periods in their life-history which 



