48 



Sometimes 



SPUR PRUNING. 



A. Mark showing 1 where 

 cut should be made. 



larger and better in quality than if growth is not regulated. 



it will be advisable to shorten back old spurs 



as shown by the illustration. Peaches, 



Nectarines and Apricots require somewhat 



special treatment, as not only should the last 



season's shoots be reduced in number, but 



those that are left must be shortened to about 



half their length. The Grape also requires 



special treatment in pruning in order to get 



satisfactory results. This fruit plant has at 



each joint of the previous season's wood a 



shoot in embryo, and if all these are allowed 



to grow the branches will be numerous and 



weak, and the bunches correspondingly small. 



In order, therefore, to get growth that will 



yield serviceable fruit, it is necessary to cut 



the shoots back every season to a few buds. 



It is also necessary, in order to keep up the 



size and quality of fruit, to thin out the 



branches of trees when overcrowded, in order 



that light and air may freely penetrate. 



Pruning newly-planted Trees. It is a very common practice when 

 trees are planted to reduce the tops considerably without any regard to 

 their special requirements. Trees are often injured through being 

 treated in this indiscriminate way. The proper treatment is to carefully 

 preserve a perfect balance between the roots and the branches. If the 

 plant has a large number of roots, and has lost but a small proportion 

 by removal, the tops want to be cut back to a less extent. Eoots cannot 

 perform their funciions properly without a corresponding leaf action. 

 Instances are common of robust young trees being taken up with plenty 

 of tops and roots, which have, owing to the unreasonable practice of 

 cutting away the greater part of the branches, only been able to make 

 a weakly growth the first season after they were planted, instead of the 

 strong vigour expected. This result is brought about by a diminished 

 flow of sap, through the branches being so reduced that the leaf surface 

 is not in proportion to the roots, which consequently become somewhat 

 sluggish in their action. Leaves are as necessary to the roots as the 

 roots are to the leaves, and the more perfect the balance the better. 

 On the other hand, when, as frequently happens, trees lose a large 

 portion of their roots by removal, it will be necessaiy to reduce the 

 heads proportionately, so that the branches can obtain proper support 

 from the diminished number of feeders. In all cases, therefore, as 

 regards newly-planted trees they must be pruned back according to their 

 individual requirements, and in such a way that the balance between 

 roots and branches is equalised as much as possible. 



Summer Pruning. Summer pruning is a very useful practice in fruit 

 culture, and should be more generally adopted in this part of the world 

 than it is. The practice is more especially valuable for young trees, but 

 may be applied with advantage to older ones when circumstances will 



