372 

 SUGGESTIONS ON PEUNING FEUIT TREES. 



BT M. J. YAl?' HTJLLE, 

 Head Gardener of the Botauic Garden of Ghent. 



OU most likely know already how fully convinced I am of the general 

 superiority of what we call the rational system {taille raisonnee) of 

 pruning fruit trees ; my intention is to explain in a few words what we 

 mean thereby, and further to submit this question to your consideration 

 — whether you conld not practise it in your country with the same 

 success as we do in ours ? 



In England you have generally small fruit, but an abundant supply of it ; you 

 get it, however, more often by chance than by art. If the soil be stony, as in most 

 places, either permeable or made so by drainage, you have, if not perfectly formed 

 trees, at least beautiful ones, and loaded with fruit. But if the soil be damp, rich, 

 and consequently the growth vigorous, scarcely any fine fruit can be obtained, if the 

 trees are not tre^ated according to their requirements. To be able to do chis, it is 

 necessary, in all cases, to consider, firstly, the form to be given to the tree ; secondly, 

 the different parts of whicli the tree is composed ; and, thirdly, the functions which 

 each of these parts has to fulfil. 



It is by means of the leading or parent branches that the form of the tree is given. 

 These forms may vary more or less, but should not be too complicated, but as simple 

 as possible. The leading branches ought to be very straight, and instead of all 

 spreading from the same point on the stem, or nearly so, a sufiicient space should be 

 left between each of them, the spaces being larger or smaller according to the nature 

 of the tree. In all cases, the intervals between the leading branches should be as 

 equal as possible. 



If, in order to fill up the space, some of them are required to ramify or fork out, 

 then it is with the lowest leading branches that the bifurcation is to be found ; they 

 must also be the strongest — symmetry must exist everywhere. Now, as we have 

 observed, the leading branches give the form of the tree, but they bear another kind 

 of wood, namely, the bearing branches which give the fruit-twigs, and often also 

 the reserve fruit-twigs for the following year ; so that in every tree to be pruned, 

 whatever may be its form, only three or four kinds of branches exist. This being 

 admitted, the task of the pruner is much giraplified; indeed, knowing that each of 

 these four parts has its own functions to perform, and may not, unless exceptionally, 

 be charged with that of another part, it will be much easier to operate than if no 

 proper distinction at all were made, as in most o d systems of fruit-tree pruning. 



Let lis now see what are the functions of each of the above-mentioned branches, 

 and how we can obtain the desired results ; this is the essential point which the 

 pruner ought to know and to observe. First, the leading branches must not give any 

 fruit, but after having been strongly established by former short prunings, they must 

 hecome longer every year, in prcj ortion to the greater or less vigour of growth. 

 They must bifurcate or fork out where necessary, as I have already explained, and 

 give at the same time on their last year's wood the rudiments of the bearing branches 

 of the following year, which, to be of good shape, should rather be too weak than too 

 strong. If then "the leading branches' are left too long, the lowest eyes do not break, 

 but they remain dormant, and leave the following year empty spaces. If they are 

 cut too short, the bearing branches shoot out ?o vigorously that even by pinching 

 them in summer and by leaving the leading shoot free, as is generally done, the 

 growth cannot be stopped. 



Such are the most important considerations with respect to the leading branches; 

 along these the bearing branches ought to be placed at regular and convenient 

 intervals, and be as short as possible, in order to prevent confusion, to admit the 

 free action of sun and air, to take up less room, and ako to produce and bear fruit 

 better. All that remains to be done to accomplish this is to cut them the first year 

 the length of two or three buds only, whether they have fruit-buds or not. Too often 

 this capital point is neglected, and empty spaces are sooner or later tlie consequences 

 of this error. Now on the bearing branches the fruit shoots exist single and 

 isolated, and remain for several years, as in almost all "pepin" fruit trees (apples 

 and pears) ; they should also be kept short by pinching, etc. In all cases these 



