IRISH (;aki)i:mnc; 



I.\^^AR^■ 



wWwh shall. \vlu-!i pniiuJ iv .ill u.illv pi auIik .• 



spues. 



As a lou^'h rill*.-. al>oiil oue-tl)ii\l ol the w oiul 

 should K- lomovoil. rii/fini; ahtuivs to ,t huti 

 fHn'ntinir in ///«• ilinr/ii'ti ///«• nstt/Zit/i/ shoot is 

 rnjitind to liiki\ but each shoot and each bush 

 must ho treated as it reiiuires. If it is soeii 

 ihat niiuh i^routh was produced alter last 

 pruiiinL[ more latitiule must be allowed; on 

 the comi".ii\ . it bare space with unbroUeu buds 

 has resulted the treatment must be more s^wie 

 on the next occasion. This is the ideal one 

 must always bear in miuLl, though il l>e sonu- 

 times diHicult ol attainment. The siii>nj^ei 

 i^rowiui; sorts like Hramlex's Seedliu};, \eulon 

 Wonder. Warner's Kini.;. and Blenheim Oranj^e 

 are the more dilVicnlt to manai.;e. siiKe their \er\ 

 \ i^^our causes the buds when 1 lie\ do i">reak to 

 iiish into stron;.; shoots rather tiian fruit buds. 



Consider.ibie dilVerence ^^i opinion exists as 

 to what shall be Ci<^nK: with any slronj.;" shoot 

 which is loo l->adly placed, either because il is 

 in the middle ol the tree or too close lo oi 

 crossiui.; a neii^libourini,-- shool, lo be per- 

 mitlei.1 to remain. 



.\ i,^ood many piuners and uiilers on 

 pruniiii;' adxocate spiurinj^ such shoots in 

 that is, pruning,'- to within halt-an-inch or three- 

 quarters <^\ an inch ^^\ the base. .My personal 

 opinion is that such shoots are far heller cut 

 clean out, unless they are so numerous as lo 

 leave a lot of bare wood, which would really mean 

 that the precedinj^ pruning- had been too hard. 



The reason upon which 1 base m\ procedure 

 is that such shoots spurred in nearl\ always 

 produce another strong' shool or two, and if 

 the tree is very vigorous and not being chocked 

 by heavy fruiting one can go on spurring back 

 this wood for several years, producing al last 

 an ugly snag, probably without a fruit bud al 

 all. Oi the size of shoot it is safe to spur in the 

 pruner himself can soon learn by experience 

 in respect of each tree, always remembering 

 thai as the amount oi wood in the tree 

 increases and fruiting commences ihe \igour 

 of the tree has many outlets, and it is safe to 

 spur more than when such is not the case. A 

 word of caution must, however, be gi\en 

 concerning the practice of spurring in all wood 

 wrong^ly placed, weak, and not required for the 

 formation of the tree. There are some varieties 

 which fruit largely on the tips of the last year's 

 growth, notably Worcester Pearmain and 



Irish Pe.ieh. Wit h I hese the .innual shortening 

 ol the leailers and the spurring in o\ the si(.le 

 shoots means eutling awa\ the iMilk ol' the 

 fruit, and the metliod lo be employed is, fust, 

 to i-irune han.1, so as \o get eonsiilerable \ igour 

 and .1 large amount o\ wood sii as to form a 

 tree quickl\ . afterwards to lease il alone 

 prellv nineli, contenting oneself with thinning 

 out the growths and remo\ing anything that 

 is erossiiig i^r rubbing. 



It siiould 1h> adiled. hin\e\er, that Worcester 

 rearniain o\\ some soils will protluce truit 

 spurs fairh well, so thai ime neei.1 not be so 

 much afraitl ol |->iimiiig the leatlers for the 

 purpose oi extending the liX'e, as o\\ other 

 soils. Stirling Castle on Paradise sUick tonus a 

 good example ol a tree which can be shortened 

 and s|iuired in the maimer described lor many 

 years, so thai with a good crop the branches 

 stand co\ ered with apples like ropes oi onions. 



ICcklinville Seedling is another good natuial 

 s]->uri'ei', so, too, ai'e I'ott's Seedling, Lord 

 Ciros\cnor, Duchess oi OUlenburgh, and Lane's 

 Prince Albert, but the last-named needs a lot of 

 care in training, as it is a very straggling 

 grower, |-iartl\- because oi its naturally awKward 

 habit and partly because the hea\y crops pull 

 the boughs out of shape. Bismarck, 1 ha\e 

 found, breaks well, and on spurring the medium 

 sti'ength growths pi'oduces good Iruit spurs, 

 which last for sexeral years. 



The pruning tool should never be secateurs, 

 but always a good sharp knife, and the pruner 

 should aim at making good clean cuts without 

 tearing the bark at the point the knife enters or 

 leases the shoots, the angle lo cut lo produce 

 these desired results being about forly-li\e 

 degrees, anything more being inclined lo split 

 the shoot where the knife leaves, and an\ thing 

 less making a long, ngh', shisering cut. In 

 this article, as 1 pointed oliI al the commence- 

 ment, I ha\ e tried lo show the reasons which 

 should guide a pruner rather than gi\e any 

 rule or rules of procetlnre. 



1 will endea\our next month to give some 

 photos from my (.n\ n trees to illustrate my 

 meaning, though il is \ery difficult lo make 

 them appear real, since the photographic plate 

 reduces the perspective to one flat plane. 



Tni-: vouiij;- shoots of roses, ami Tea roses especially, 

 wliicli liHve become very tender owinjif to so much rain 

 sliould l)e protected with braclioii. 



