534 



THE A PPLE. 



manner as is required to keep the tree productive. When the leading 

 upright shoot has attained about fifteen inches in length, the end is 

 pinched off so as to leave it about eleven inches long. This causes 

 shoots to be produced from the upper part of the leader thus stopped, 

 three of which are trained in, the uppermost straight up the wall, and 

 the others one on each side the stem of the leader. This stopping of 

 the leading shoot is not performed later than the end of June or early 

 in July ; for, when it is done much later, those shoots which push 

 afterwards in that season do not arrive at a sufficient degree of ma- 

 turity to withstand the winter, and are frequently destroyed by frost. 

 When it happens that a tree has not done well in the early part of the 

 season, and the upright shoot is not of a suitable length or vigour at 

 the proper period for stopping it, it is not meddled with afterwards 

 until the winter pruning of the tree. 



Second Year. Winter Pruning. At the middle or end of November 

 the tree is pruned. The upright leading shoot is now shortened down 

 to ten inches from the place where it was last stopped. The tree will 

 now be represented by the accompanying sketch (tig. 355). The side- 

 shoots (but which will hereafter be termed branches) are not shortened, 

 but left their full length. If, during summer, the end of a branch 

 should have been accidentally broken or damaged, the general conse- 

 quence resulting from it is the 

 production of several shoots or 

 fruit-buds. If shoots (which is 

 very generally the case) were pro- 

 duced, and were shortened during 

 summer agreeably to directions for 

 similar shoots in the treatment of 

 the tree for the second year, they 

 are now cut down to about half an 

 inch in length (fig. 356). If, in- 

 stead of shoots, natural fruit-buds 

 should have been produced (these 

 are short and stiff", from half an 

 inch to an inch in length, and red- 

 dish at the ends), such are allowed 

 to remain untouched, as it is on 



Fig. 356. 



Horizontal training, first year. 



those that fruit are produced. The advantage of shortening back the 

 upright shoot as much as is directed to be done is, that by it branches 

 are certain to be produced at those places desired, so that no vacancy 

 occurs. The leading upright shoot thus attended to will reach the top 

 of a wall twelve feet high in seven years, which is as soon as the tree 

 will be able to do, so as to support every part sufficiently. 



Summer Pruning. When the buds upon that part of the leading 

 stem which was produced last have pushed, they are all rubbed off to 

 the three uppermost. The topmost is trained straight up the wall, for 

 a. lead to the main stem ; and the two others, one on each side. The 

 instructions given for stopping the leading shoot in summer, and 

 shortening it back in winter pruning, &c., are attended to until the 



