2l6 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo April, 1912, 



The crowns of the young trees 

 should be formed about 18 inches 

 from the ground and a good set of 

 main arms encouraged. The stan- 

 dard system of training the trees 

 is adopted in some places. This 

 consists of training the tree to a 

 single stem for about 5 feet from 

 the ground and then allowing the 

 head to assume a globular form. 

 The gooseberry bush method of 

 training several trunks from the 

 ground is also adopted, but neither 

 of these methods is recommended 

 here. 



The writer favours the establish- 

 ment of a low crown and the main- 

 tenance of a modified vase form ; 

 that is, more branches are retained 

 than is usual with some of our other 

 fruit trees. Care should be taken, 

 however, that ample space is af- 

 forded for the free development 

 of laterals on all the main 

 branches, as the wood will not 

 mature when crowding takes place 

 17. BRANCH UNPRUNED. '''"^ the best results cannot be 



mamtained. For the fir-t three 

 or four years after planting the main object in pruning should be the 

 establishment of a good frame-work and the maintenance of good growth 

 in the tree. 



The trees should be kept well in hand and fruiting wood encouraged 

 right from the base upwards. It will be necessary, as stated before, that 

 provision be made for the re- • '^ ^ . 



newal of the supply of fruiting 

 wood from year to year. This 

 is best done by maintaining a 

 reserve of strength in the tree, 

 by cutting back and thinning 

 out. Thus more general growth 

 throughout the tree is encour- 

 aged each season, and the possi- 

 bility of it spending its strength 

 in any one season by excessive 

 cropping and being unable to 

 produce sufficient wood for a 

 crop in the following season is 

 minimized. 



Owing to the pliable nature 

 of the wood the direction and 

 rigidity of the main limbs 

 should be carefully maintained ; 

 otherwise a pronounced ten- 





(Ui^ 



BRANCH AS IN NO. 1 7 PRUNED 

 SHOWING THINNING OF LATERALS 

 AND CUTTING BACK OF LEADER. 



