346 SOME SPECIFIC MODES OF TRAINING 



Uncover the foot of the tree at spring, and cut away 

 parts of the roots, and then replace the earth. 



Transplant the trees at the end of autumn, but with 

 great care so as to preserve all the roots. (This is equiva- 

 lent to root -pruning.) 



Every method which conduces to dimmish the vigor of the 

 wood and to make the sap flow to the fruit, tends to 

 augment the size of the fruit. 



Graft upon stocks of a less vigorous species than the 

 cions. 



Apply to the trees a suitable winter pruning; that is, do 

 not leave upon them more branches, or parts of branches, 

 than is requisite for the symmetrical development of the 

 tree and the formation of fruit -bearing branches. 



Make fruit -spurs to grow close upon the branches by 

 pruning them as short as possible. 



Cut the branches very close when the flower-buds are 

 formed. 



Mutilate the summer shoots by repeatedly pinching off 

 those shoots that are not required for the development of 

 the size of the tree. 



When the fruits have attained a fifth degree of their 

 development, suppress a further number of them. 



Make an annular incision upon the fruit-bearing 

 branches at the time they expand their blossoms ; the 

 incision must not be wider than three -sixteenths of an 

 inch. ("Experience continually demonstrates that, fol- 

 lowing such incision, the fruit becomes much larger and 

 ripens better." See p. 281.) 



Graft some of the fruit branches of vigorous trees with 

 the Girardin side graft. (See last page.) 



Place under the fruits, during their growth, a support, 

 to prevent their stretching or twisting their foot-stalks or 

 pedicels. ("If left without support, it will often happen 



