52 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



of the dormant buds on the stem 

 started. Bat as the stem is to 

 be clothed, we must cut 

 back the leader and the 

 side-branches, as marked 

 in the diagram ; the knife 

 in each case to be passed 

 through close over a 

 plump bud. That ter- 

 minal bud will start first 

 and with most vigour 

 when the growth com- 

 mences in spring, and if 

 allowed to have its own 

 way, may in each case 

 cause a lengthening of 

 the shoot, and a conse- 

 quent continuance of the nakedness 

 of the remaining portion of the stem. 

 But by leaving the top bud of the 

 leader to grow as it pleases, and 

 pinching in the growth of the side- 

 ehoots as soon as three leaders are 

 fully developed on each, we compel 

 the tree to push out shoots from 

 dormant buds on the stem, through 

 the necessity laid upon it to find an 

 outlet for the sap. By pinching in 

 these shoots above the third or fourth 

 leaf, and pinching in the secondary 

 shoots in the same way, as soon as 

 they have perfected three or four 

 leaves each, the tree is induced to 

 form fruit-spurs at the 

 base of some of the 

 pinched-in shoots, and 

 if these can be well 

 ripened before winter, 

 there will be a fair 

 chance of fruit the 

 succeeding summer. 



If the pinching has 

 really not been neg- 

 lected, the tree at 

 the end of the season 

 will present some such 

 appearance as in Fig. 

 2, and the only prun- 

 ing it will require will 

 be to cut back the 

 leader about one- 

 fourth of the whole 

 heiglit of the tree. 



The nest season 

 the top bud of the 



7 



^1^ 



Fig. 2. 

 leader wUl 



agam grow vigorousl}^ 



and new side-shoots will be thrown 

 out above those previously pinched 



in. All wood-huch are to be pinched 

 as before, at the third or fourth 

 joint from the bud, but never till 

 three or four leaves are fully de- 

 veloped ; then nip out 

 the point, leaving the 

 three or four joints 

 only. Three or four 

 pinchings at intervals 

 from the end of May 

 till the end of July 

 will suifice to keep the M ^ 



growth as regular as %^S!'^ 



if mathematically ar- 

 ranged beforehand ; 

 and if care be taken ^^mv 



never to pinch too late, ^ H^' 1,^ 

 but rather to leave neg- "^^-tA'^-^ 

 lected shoots to ripen 

 at their full length 

 after the end of July, 

 the tree will have 

 some such appearance -%% 

 as in Fig. 3 ; and as it 

 will now be a regular 

 distafi", we quit it, 

 trusting it will bear 

 as it ought, an abun- 

 dance of fruit. 



Between the rigid 

 distaff as thus described 

 and the graceful pyra- 

 mid, there are many in- ^,,gg;~^ ..-, 

 termediate forms, such ■■■-'2^^}2^</^- 

 as the diffused and 

 irregular bush, etc. ; ^'' 



but these are chiefly determinable 

 by the peculiar habits of varieties 

 that by their growth refuse to con- 

 form to the formal outlines prescribed 

 for them by the cultivator. But there 

 will be no difficulty in their manage- 

 ment if the cultivator bears in mind 

 never to pinch too soon or too hard. 

 There must always be an outlet for 

 the sap of a tree growing vigorously, 

 and the several pinchings should be 

 distributed over as long a pei'iod as 

 will be safe both for the stopping of 

 the shoots in time and the ripening of 

 the subsequent growths. 



In forming pyramids great care 

 must be taken to insure a free 

 growth at the bottom of the tree. 

 The use of the knife will alone do 

 this. If the tree is allowed to run 

 up to its full height at once, the 

 lower part of the stem will be poorly 



