SPUR-PRUNING. 



539 



Summer Planning. Performed as before. 



Tenth Year. Winter Pruning. The spurs, No. 1, are now cut 

 down again (as fig. 363, a, a fruitful bud, and b, a growing bud). The 

 spurs, No. 2, are pruned to three fruit-buds (as c c c), and the spurs, No. 

 3, to four fruit-buds (as d d d d). 



Fig. 361. 



ft 1 



2 



Spur-pruning, eighth year. 



Spur-pruning, ninth year. 



Fig. 363. 



It will be observed that the spurs, No. l,have now been cut down 

 twice ; the first time in the sixth year, and the second in the tenth. 

 Thus those spurs cut down to a fruitful bud (as fig. 359, a) have borne 

 fruit four years ; and those spurs cut entirely down, or to a growing 

 bud (as A, b, fig. 359), would 

 have only borne fruit three 

 years. In these two cases al- 

 ways leave the spurs with three 

 fruit- buds each this winter, and 

 cut them down the following 

 winter, unless they have grown 

 very vigorous and straggling. 



The system already detailed, 

 of cutting down and renewing 

 the spurs, is practised with all 

 others as here directed. Thus, 

 the next year, the spurs No. 3 

 are cut down (as in tig. 360, f) 

 and the second year from this time, the spurs No. 2 (as fig. 361, i), and 

 in the fourth year from the present time, the spurs No. 1 cut down 

 (as fig. 359, a, and fig. 363, a) require to be cut down again. 



These directions may appear tedious and intricate ; but it was neces- 

 sary to enter into minute details, in order to illustrate the principle of 

 this system of spur-pruning, the object of which is to obtain spurs always 

 at a proper distance from each other, so that a suitable portion of sun 

 and air may be admitted to them, and so that the spurs may always be 

 kept supplied with young healthy wood and fruitful buds. This re- 

 newal of spurs may proceed during the life of the tree, and thus those 

 long and injurious straggling spurs which are so generally seen on wall- 

 trees and espaliers may be avoided. Modern cultivators allow of a 

 freer growth of the top branches, and trust to root pruning more 



Spur-pruning, tenth year. 



