302 THE GARDENKI?. [July 



it may suffice to state that the best means of producing a well-bal- 

 anced tree is by regulating the amount of foliage produced on its several 

 parts. Whatever portion of the tree has a tendency to grow too strong 

 should have its breadth of foliage at once curtailed, by pinching out 

 all the side and lateral shoots ; and if this has not the desired effect, 

 portions of the leaves may be cut away, and the branch bent down to 

 retard the flow of sap. On the other hand, the weak portion of the 

 tree should be encouraged as much as possible by being elevated into 

 a position likely to encourage the flow of sap, while the foliage should 

 be exposed as much as possible to the light and air, and the result in 

 a year or two will be a well-balanced, healthy, and vigorous tree. 



In summer the Apricot requires to be well attended to with regard 

 to pinching, pruning, and disbudding. As soon as the young shoots 

 are an inch long or thereabouts, the tree ought to be regularly gone 

 over, and all badly-placed shoots at once removed by gently rubbing 

 them off with the ringer and thumb. I would not recommend, how- 

 ever, that all the shoots, save those for permanent use, should be re- 

 moved at this time. I would leave three times the quantity necessary, 

 so that a good selection could be made therefrom. It is an easy mat- 

 ter to go over the trees again in June and July and remove the super- 

 fluous shoots, taking care, however, not to rub them off this time with 

 the finger and thumb, as the wound caused thereby might cause gum 

 to exude, to the ultimate injury of the health of the tree. All bran- 

 ches removed after the wood has obtained any degree of solidity ought 

 to be nicely cut off with a good sharp knife, as the wound caused 

 thereby will speedily heal over, and will not be so likely to produce 

 gum. In winter the shoots required may be laid in their places, and 

 others cut back so as to form spurs. To induce the formation of spurs, 

 the shoot ought to be cut back from 1 to 1J inch from whence it 

 started. Nothing looks so bad as spurs 3 and 4 inches in length, 

 while there is no practical benefit to be obtained thereby. 



Root-pruning is not so absolutely necessary for the Apricot as for 

 many other kinds of fruits ; yet in many cases it may prove of much 

 practical utility. Where the borders have not been prepared with 

 great care, more particularly if there is a known substratum of tena- 

 cious cold clay, it will be necessary every two or three years to have 

 recourse to a regular system of root-pruning. The trees themselves 

 will in most cases give a true index of their wants in this way, by the 

 production of long watery growths, which never ripen, and rarely pro- 

 duce few, if any, flower-buds. Wherever a tendency in this direction 

 is shown, let root-pruning be had recourse to at once. In the case of 

 young trees not more than three or four years planted, they may with 

 much immediate benefit be operated upon in September ; but where 



