THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



furnished. In forming pyramids it is 

 all important to bear in mind that the 

 tendency of the leading shoot is to 

 lengthen itself at the expense of all 

 the rest, and therefore a bold practice 

 must be followed in cutting the leader 

 back. The amateur will perhaps Ibe 

 afraid to cut boldly for fear of spoil- 

 ing the outline of the tree ; but if a 

 maiden tree is to be grown as a py- 

 ramid, the leader must be cut back 

 at least one-third the first year of 

 planting, and the top bud left to 

 grow must be on the side opposite to 

 that on which the graft is inserted, 

 in order to promote a straight growth 

 of the main stem. At the same time, 

 the side-shoots nearest the base should 

 be cut back about a fourth of their 

 length, and all subsequent growths 

 of secondary shoots, on these side- 

 branches, should be pinched in. Du 

 Breuil advocates the suppression 

 of secondary shoots so that each side- 

 branch should be restricted to fruit- 

 spurs only ; but in this country se- 

 condary shoots or the main laterals 

 are to be encouraged, provided there 

 is no crowding ; this plan obviates 

 the necessity of severe pinching, 

 which if carried too far is apt to 

 be attended with the inconvenience 

 of imperfectly-ripened wood, our au- 

 tumns being very often too damp and 

 cold for a prolonged period of pinch- 

 ing. 



After being thus pruned, the top 

 bud starts away, and the lower 

 branches produce fruit-spurs. At 

 the next pruning, the side-shoots 

 formed above those now beginning to 

 fruit will require a shortening simi- 

 lar to that practised on the side- 

 shoots the previous year. At this 

 point the cultivator should consider 

 that to lengthen side-shoots or main 

 stem is the easiest matter in the 

 world. A tree pruned back will al- 

 ways endeavour to extend itself and 

 attain to full dimensions, so that 

 whenever length is desirable, a ter- 

 minal bud left to grow as it will, is 

 sure to produce the desired result. 

 Thus by insuring the lower furniture, 

 and carrying up the leader slowly, suc- 

 cessive tiers of branches are formed, 

 and every one of the side-buds of the 

 leader is compelled to break, and 

 furnish its quota towards the com- 



pletion of the tree. In every case 

 the pruning back of the leader is to 

 a bud on the opposite side to the one 

 left at the previous pruning, and the 

 side-branches are prevented breaking 

 into a crowd of spray by pinching in 

 all wood-buds that show except where, 

 in the enlarging circumference of 

 the tree, bifurcations are necessary 

 to fill up the outline. The ultimate 

 form of a tree so managed will be as 

 in Fig. 4, and when it has become 

 pretty equally furnished with fruitful 

 wood, it will be very seldom necessary 

 to use the knife at all. 



Fig. 4. — Pyramid Pear. 



It is understood that these trees 

 are to be lifted annually or biennially, 

 according to the nature of the soil 

 and the vigour of the trees. In 

 rich deep moist soils annual lifting 

 may be desirable ; but in poor, thin 

 soils it may suffice to transplant them 

 every alternate year. But the trees 

 will themselves pronounce whatshould 

 be done with them. Any that make 

 insufficient growth should remain un- 

 touched a second year ; those that 

 grow rampantly should be taken up 

 at the end of November and imme- 

 diately replanted. 



