102 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the case we adopt measures calculated 

 to preserve the form of the tree, and 

 at the same convert some of this 

 vigorous growth to a good account. 

 If both are cut in close, new shoots 

 will arise, probably a whole thicket of 

 thin spray, making the head of the 

 tree like the ribs of an umbrella, 

 and pinch as we may, the sap will be 

 too much for us ; so that the end of it 

 will be that at tbe winter pruning the 

 head will have to be cut back below 

 all these thin shoots, which will re- 

 sult in the loss of a portion of that 

 ripe hard wood, which it has taken 

 three summers to produce. The pro- 

 per course is a compromise between 

 art and nature. The proper leader 

 need only have tbe point pinched out ; 

 this will cause it to ripen its full 

 length of new wood, and probably 

 cause every side-bud to produce an 

 incipient fruit-spur. As for the side- 

 shoot, that must be suppressed, and 

 the best way will be to remove it by 

 means of a sharp knife at the point a. 

 As the leader is allowed to take a good 

 share of tbe sap, this side-shoot will 

 probably not push again, but tbe two 

 or three leaves left will keep the 

 stump alive, and perhaps mature the 

 buds at their base, so that in the end, 

 the remains of the shoot a may be- 

 come a fruit spur. 



, Concurrently with this vigorous 

 growth at the head of the tree there 

 will be a less vigorous growth else- 

 where, every detail of which must be 

 watched by the cultivator. From 

 various parts of the tree young shoots 

 are pushing. There is the very short 

 twig with three or four small leaves set 

 round a terminal point like a rosette. 

 This will never become a shoot ; it is 

 an incipient fruit-spur; next season 

 it will give you flowers and fruit ; 

 leave it alone. On the lower parts of 

 old branches of fruit trees, pears espe- 

 cially, twigs of this kind abound, and 

 if the shape and size of the tree are 

 of no consequence, any strong ripe 

 shoot will ultimately produce twigs of 

 the kind if allowed to grow in its 

 own way unchecked. You will also 

 notice feeble wood shoots, which 

 while they differ from the embryo 

 spurs in a visible tendency to lengthen 

 themselves out, do not grow with 



such vigour as to form strong shoots 

 of a kind analogous to that we have 

 just pruned back at a, fig. 2. These 

 feeble shoots, are in fact, laterals, 

 which if left alone, will produce spurs, 

 but which if pinched 

 in betimes will them- 

 selves become spurs. 

 It is for the cultiva- | | 

 tor to determine | 

 whether to pinch 

 them back or not. 

 If a side-shoot is 

 wanted to fill up 

 gap in the furniture 

 of the tree, then the 

 shoot may be allowed to push and 

 ripen. If not pinch it back to the 

 fourth leaf as in fig. 3, and it will 

 probably give no more trouble during 

 the season. Then, again, we shall 

 find stronger shoots of a vigour in- 

 termediate between 2 and 3. These 

 may] be called subsidiary leaders. If 

 left to grow they will become strong 

 side-shoots, and the probability is that 

 a few of them will be of great service; 

 in fact, it is impossible to form nice 

 bushes or pyramids without such 

 shoots. But when tbe tree is formed, 

 all such sboots must be suppressed, 

 and the simplest and most effectual 

 method is to pinch them back to 

 three leaves, as in fig. 4. The word 

 " pinch " is used because the thumb- 

 nail is tbe best of all pruning imple- 

 ments and wben the shoot is soft 

 enough for the thumb-nail to cut it 

 through is the best time for the 



operation. But if the pinching is 

 delayed beyond that, as it has been 

 in fig. 4, the shoot will be tough, and 

 must be cut with a small sharp knife. 

 It is best, however, always to pinch 

 when the shoot is quite soft, hence 

 the first pinching should take place at 

 the end of April, or early in May, 



