72 THE FLORIST. 



last year's branch must be allowed to remain to form a shoot, and the 

 lowermost, or that nearest the preceding year's wood ; and besides, if 

 the last year's shoots are left more than 18 inches long, a shoot shouli 

 be allowed to grow half way between the uppermost and lower ones ; ' 

 furthermore, it will add much to the simplicity of arranging the wood 

 hereafter, if all these proceed from the upper side of the shoot, We 

 shall then have three buds left to grow into wood on the upper side of 

 each main shoot, as I call last year's wood, for filling up the tree, and 

 forming bearing wood for next season. All the rest should be pinched 

 out, when a few joints long, by the thumb and finger ; for knives are 

 useless for summer pruning until much later in the season. There 

 will then only remain the centre branch, which has been cut back 

 much closer than the other, for the purpose of forming a set of shoots 

 to fill up the tree. In disbudding this, leave as many young buds 

 proceeding from the side of the shoot as will, when grown, fill up the 

 space in the middle ; of course these will have to be trained much 

 more upright than the others. The remaining foreright shoots, or 

 those which proceed from the front of the wood, should be carefully 

 pinched back in all cases to two or three joints. We much prefer this 

 to cutting them out entirely, as they form short natural spurs which in 

 many cases will produce fruit more readily than the ordinary wood : 

 and should they hereafter interfere with the growth of the tree, by 

 crowding it too much, they can at any time be removed. Nothing 

 will remain further than watching the young shoots and nailing or 

 tying them in to the wall. When they grow to be five or six inches 

 long, laterals or shoots proceeding from the axils of the leaves must be 

 pinched back ; and should any additional wood than that selected for 

 bearing be produced in the course of the summer, it should be removed 

 immediately. Insects must likewise be looked for ; for in all proba- 

 bility the green of black fly, popularly called blight, will make their 

 appearance soon after the leaves, and if not kept down will soon ruin 

 the hopes of the planter. They are easily kept under, if taken in 

 time, by the following means : Procure some tobacco-water, which is 

 sold by the wholesale tobacconists at about lOrf. or \2d. per gallon, and 

 mix one quart of this with one gallon of water ; take a good syringe or 

 garden engine, and well wash the trees over, first with clear water — 

 this will dislodge the insects from the underside of the leaves, where they 

 are mostly found — and then follow with the tobacco-water, syringing 

 the trees over gently, that each leaf may become wetted ; this, when the 

 water is of a proper strength, quickly kills the fly. Should it not, 

 however, as sometimes the tobacco-water varies in strength, more 

 must be added to the water till it has the desired eflfect. We have 

 added soapsuds with benefit, as it causes the water to adhere better to 

 the leaves. As these insects increase with great rapidity, the trees 

 should have a look over two or three days after the first washing, and 

 the application repeated if necessary. When the insects are very 

 numerous some of the leaves will become curled up, and are easily 

 distinguished ; these should be hand-picked, not taking off the leaves, 

 but merely dislodging the insects by a small brush before syringing ; 

 otherwise they are difficult to get at. Later in the season, should red 



