SECRETARY'S REPORT. 235 



with safety from crushing snows, and the heads retained within 

 a smaller extent. With suitable age, there is rarely lack of fruit 

 enough without continual "stopping," and often more time is 

 needed to thin it out properly than can well be spared for the pur- 

 pose. There should be at least the annual pruning before ref^red 

 to, and in doing this, if care be taken to cut above a wood bud on 

 the outer side of the twig or limb, or on the side facing the direction 

 in which it is desirable that the shoot should extend its growth, 

 a great deal may be easily accomplished towards improving the form 

 and general appearance of the tree, or towards giving it any pe- 

 culiar form desired. 



If any attempt is to be made at systematic training, I would 

 suggest the adoption of the "wine-glass" style, introduced by 

 Capt. W. R. Austin, of Dorchester, Mass., as better fitted to our . 

 needs and less trouble than the pyramidal form. It is thus de- 

 scribed, by the editor, in Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture : 



" When the young tree of two years old is planted, the centre 

 shoot is cut out, and the side shoots are pruned in so as to obtain 

 from the four or five laterals as many as seven or nine branches '. 

 these are preserved entire, every side shoot upon each being cut 

 in to one or two eyes as they make their appearance ; these main 

 shoots are slightly cut in at the winter pruning, and encouraged 

 in making a new growth each year, pinching off at all times 

 every side shoot, by which means they are transformed into fruit 

 spurs ; as the shoots increase in length, they diverge at the top 

 until they assume quite a wine-glass or vase shape. When of 

 •a maximum height, say ten feet, they are stopped, and are not 

 allowed further extension. By this process, these main shoots 

 become studded with fruit spurs from top to bottom, of which the 

 Duchesse afforded grand examples, being covered with splendid 

 large pears. 



The advantages of* this style, besides ease of management, are 

 a more evenly balanced tree, which the wind does not affect so 

 much as pyramids, and the sap is not directed to the top, but is 

 distributed throughout these main branches equally ; hence the 

 trees are full of fruit from the base to the top, and at the same 

 time it is more evenly sized. Another important thing is, that 

 there are no lower side branches to become crowded and die off for 

 want of a good circulation of air, as is too common with pyramidal 

 trees. The principal advantage is in the ease with they. may be 



