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permit. Summer priming, in the first place, prevents the formation of 

 a great deal of useless wood, and consequently lessens the work of 

 winter cutting, It also enables the cultivator to equalise growth, and 

 distribute the wood to better advantage than when the trees are left to 

 themselves. The term summer pruning is to some extent a misnomer, as 

 the work, when properly carried out, should commence in the spring, 

 soon after growth has started. If the trees are gone over then, and all 

 shoots removed that are not likely to serve a useful purpose, a great- 

 waste of energy is prevented, and the strength of the plant is concentrated 

 into useful channels. But it is not advisable at this early period of 

 growth to remove all the shoots except the permanent ones, and it will 

 be necessary to allow about twice the number to remain that will be 

 eventually required. The reason for leaving a full number of shoots is 

 that a proportionate amount of leaf growth is necessary to stimulate a 

 vigorous root action. When the shoots are Gin. or 8in. long they should 

 receive a second and final thinning out, leaving only those that are 

 actually required. Care must also be taken that a sufficient number of 

 shoots are left to furnish enough foliage to shade the stems and branches, 

 a most important matter in a country where the sun has great power in 

 the summer. Then, again, cultivators should remember that the leaves 

 are the lungs of the plant, and that unless it can breathe freely there 

 cannot be proper root action. It is essential to the well-being of these 

 trees that the spread of foliage should be in proportion to the quantity 

 of roots, in order that the plants may breathe with freedom and absorb 

 from the atmosphere the necessary amount of carbon. When growth is 

 carefully regulated the trees have a much better chance of ripening 

 their wood properly than when the branches are overcrowded. The 

 rubbing off the shoots in the early part of the season is specially 

 serviceable with stone fruits, as it lessens the tendency to " gum," to 

 which these trees are very liable when the mature wood is cut. Care 

 must, however, be taken in summer pruning not to cause an over- 

 luxuriant growth when it is not required. When a tree has a tendency 

 to make an over-strong growth it should be kept rather full of wood than 

 otherwise, as the greater the number of shoots removed the more vigorous 

 will the remaining ones be. The second stage of summer pruning is the 

 stopping of the shoots after they have made a certain amount of growth, 

 a practice that is specially useful in the case of young trees. Young 

 shoots often make a very strong growth, and, if unchecked, will attain a 

 great length. As these shoots will have to be shortened back it is a 

 better plan to check them early by pinching off the points. A fresh 

 growth will then start, and the branches will not only be better furnished, 

 but the young trees will make greater progress. If pinching back at the 

 proper time is neglected, the young shoots may be shortened, but the 

 former plan is the best. It will, however, be advisable that shoots, if 

 necessary, should be cut back before the summer is far advanced, so that 

 there will be time enough for a fresh growth to start. Pinching back 

 the shoots, while checking woody growth, also induces the formation of 

 fruit buds. Summer pruning is also useful in assisting the fruit-bearing 

 powers of trees, as by pinching back the shoots the growth of wood is 



