S July, 1908.] Jlic Orchard. 445 



shoots will also require shortening back, leaving the strongest shoots longest, 

 and cutting the weaker shoots back a little shorter. Where a branch 

 makes a strong growth and takes a decided lead from the others, it should 

 be pinched back in the early summer. This will check the growth, and 

 allow the weaker branches to grow more vigorouslv. 



Where trees are growing in an exposed situation- the prevailing winds 

 shouJd be taken into consideration when pruning, otherwise they will be 

 blown all to one part cular side. The pruner should counteract this as 

 much as possible by pruning to an outside bud on the windy side, and 

 an inside bud on the sheltered side. 



Many varieties of apples and pears form natural fruit spurs without 

 any trouble ; others again, such as Jonathan and Rome Beauty, grow to 

 laterals. This is the point where many pruners fail. They cut off all 

 the laterals with the expectation that fruit spurs will naturally follow, 

 but instead only thin spray wood makes its appearance. This is again 

 cut off, and so the process goes on until the lower portion of the tree 

 becomes (juite bare and devoid of both fruit spurs and leaves, and the 

 whole of the growth has been forced into the extremities of the branches, 

 which gives the tree the appearance of a broom. Instead of cutting oft 

 all these lateral shoots, they should be moderately thinned out, and the 

 full length of the ones that are left should be retained, not being cut 

 back at all. The following summer fruit buds will develop along the 

 whole length of these shoots, and will become permanent fruit spurs. 

 Thev should be gradually shortened back a little every year as the growth 

 of tiie tree expands, and the tree will then be furnished with fruit bearing 

 v/ood right from the fork. Should too many of these lateral shoots have 

 been left to form fruit spurs, they can always be thinned out or shortened 

 back and so help to regulate the ciop of fruit. Fruit spurs of trees in 

 full bearing should be thinned out every year, if good quality fruit is 

 required. Unless this is done, the fruit spurs increase so' rapidly that 

 the tree is unable to properly mature the crop of fruit that sets, with the 

 result that it is very small and of little value. Again, many trees such 

 as the Winter Nelis pear, where the spurs have not been thinned, bloom 

 so profusely that the tree exhausts itself in blooming, and is unable to 

 set any fruit. Orchardists should therefore study the habits of the 

 different varieties of trees thev are dealing with, and regulate the fruit 

 spurs accc/rding to the capacity of the tree to bear a crop of fruit of the 

 best qualitv. 



In pruning peach trees, it is necessarv that a continuous supply of 

 young wood should be maintained every year to give a supply of fruit, 

 as it is borne on the wood of the preceding year. In 'the Harcourt 

 district there are peach trees 40 years old still strong and vigorous, and 

 bearing heavy crops of fruit, and from present appearances are likely 

 to go on for another 40 vears. Most peach growers find a rlifificulty in 

 maintaining a supply of young wood in the lower part of the tree, as 

 there is always a tendency for the young growth in the body of the tree 

 to die out, the young growths all getting to the top. Where this is the 

 case it is better to head it well back im the winter, and in the spring 

 young growths will shoot from the shortened branches. These should 

 be thinned out, leaving just sufficient to form a well balanced head. 



Continue planting trees during the month. The seasonable rains have 

 given the ground a good soaking, and it is now in good condition for 

 planting. 



