PRUNING AND TRAINING. 57 



ago, and I am afraid is still done in some gardens. 

 On the contrary, the young shoots should be left 

 their full length, except in so far as topping any 

 that may have run away from their companions 

 in growth, in order to promote a balance of growth 

 in the individual trees. The first spring after plant- 

 ing the young trees, when the sap begins to rise, 

 bend the unpruned shoots towards the ground and 

 secure them to the trellis with raffia grass in that 

 position, the bend starting from the point whence 

 the first of the young shoots are desired to proceed, 

 say three or four inches from the bottom of the 

 individual shoots. The check thus given to the 

 flow of sap causes a sufficient number of wood- 

 buds to push from each shoot to form a good-sized 

 " fan-shaped " tree the first year after planting. Of 

 course, as soon as the buds nearest the base of 

 the individual shoots so treated have pushed into 

 growth, the ties should be cut, the main shoots 

 spread out on the trellis or wall, as the case may 

 be, after the manner of a hand and distended 

 fingers, and secured thereto with raffia, leaving 

 sufficient room in the ties for the due development 

 of the branch without the former cutting into the 

 bark, which would otherwise happen, and train 

 the young shoots indicated above at proper dis- 

 tances, say four inches apart, over the intervening 

 spaces. This is the extension system of training, 



