68 THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS 



aspect. They require and repay care and skill in train- 

 ing. If the wall is low, the horizontal form is best. 

 The branches should be taken several inches below the 

 line along which they are to be trained, and not at right 

 angles ; the sap will flow better, and the tendency of 

 branches to die off will be lessened. The first branch 

 should be I foot from the ground, the rest 9 inches 

 apart. Coarse stems and branches must be avoided by 

 moderate root-pruning. The wood must be kept near 

 the wall, that wood and fruit may be better ripened. 

 The fan system is better for a high wall. Train shoots 

 on the tree from the nursery in regular order at equal 

 intervals, cutting back only to ripe wood. Pick off 

 growths on the side next the wall, and others badly 

 placed. Lay in new wood every year, and in August 

 or Early September cut out unsightly branches or spurs 

 if there is other wood to replace them. Prune upper 

 part of tree first, and encourage foliage and fruit spurs 

 over every part. Stop strong growing branches at 

 midsummer, and pinch back side shoots to six leaves 

 about mid-August. Fruit buds will follow. Wire on 

 the wall should be I J inch out, with an interval of I foot 

 between each wire. 



MANURES 



The absence of moisture and the consequent exhaustion 

 have a serious effect on plums, and should never be 

 allowed. Mulch newly-planted trees in light or poor 

 soil ' 9 give liquid manure or irrigate in dry weather. 

 Should the crops be heavy, and the soil at all deficient 

 in lime, the deficiency should be made up by scattering 

 lime some distance around the stems and working it 

 gently in. " An annual dressing of decayed vegetable 

 matter, old manure and lime-rubbish, laid about a yard 

 round the stems, produces very satisfactory results " 



