24 



CULTURE OF THE PEAR ON THE QUINCE STOCK 



Fig. 66. 



mental if required, by placing pieces of 

 rock or flint on them, which will also pre- 

 vent the birds scratching at them for worms, 

 but the stones selected must not be large 

 and heavy. 



Presuming that root pruned pyramidal 

 trees on the quince are planted as above 

 directed, pruning is the next thing to be 

 considered; this, as the tree is already 

 formed, is very simple, requiring slight 

 annual attention in summer; the employ- 

 ment is light, and perhaps the most agreea- 

 ble of all horticultural occupations. 



The first season after the planting, the 

 side buds and branches will put forth young 

 shoots, each will give from one to three or 

 four ; select that which is most horizontal 



Fig. 67. 



in its growth (it should be on the lower 

 part of the branch, as the tree will then be 

 more inclined to spread) for a leader, and 

 pinch off all the others to two inches in 

 length ; (see fig. 63, a a a ;) if these pinched 

 shoots again push, suffer them to grow two 

 inches, and then pinch them to one inch ; 

 but if the horizontal branch has a good 

 leader, it will take off all the superfluous 

 sap, and prevent the pinched spurs from 

 breaking ; their buds will only swell, and 

 the following season they will be fruit 

 spurs. 



Fig. 67 is a side branch in June, with its 



