AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



233 



Pruning continued. 



The seasons when Pruning is most generally practised 

 are summer and winter, summer Priming being conducted 

 at various times through the summer, and winter Pruning 

 principally in December, January, and February. By 

 adopting a proper system of summer pinching and 

 stopping, much good may result to the branches retained, 

 from their being more exposed to light, and there will 

 be less need of cutting severely in the winter. When 

 branches are allowed to grow at will, particularly to- 

 wards the centre of a tree, they frequently become too 

 vigorous for fruit-bearing themselves, and, by utilising 

 the sap, render others unproductive. If attention to 

 summer stopping in such cases is neglected, and the 

 strong branches are removed at the next winter Pruning, 

 it invariably happens that a difficulty arises in getting the 

 flow of sap equalised, and the next spring others, even 

 stronger shoots, start from the position where those of the 

 previous year have been taken away. Summer Pruning 

 then, in relation to permanent training, may be commenced 

 so soon as the relative strength and position which the 

 young shoots are likely to take, can be ascertained ; it must 

 be continued at intervals according to the subject under 

 treatment and its natural mode of fruit-bearing. Trees 

 that produce fruit on the short side branches, which 

 are usually termed spurs, may be subjected to a course 

 of summer Pruning, with a view to the production of 

 those spurs furnished with blossom-buds. This work 

 must not be performed before the shoots have reached j 

 a certain stage, else the buds at the base of the spurs 

 left will develop into growth the same season, instead of 

 remaining dormant, and forming themselves into fruit- 

 buds for the next. July is generally the most suitable 

 month : the wood is by that time partially solidified, and, 

 if the leading branches are left unstopped, and there is a 

 crop of fruit, most of the sap will be utilised. It not 

 unfrequently happens that fruit-trees which bear on 

 spurs become, from constant Pruning, too thickly fur- 

 nished with them, and some get long and unfruitful. It is 

 then best to cut some hard back at the winter Pruning, 

 only leaving such as are properly situated. In most 

 cases, other shoots will proceed the next year from near 

 the place where the old spurs have been taken away, 

 and these may, in due course, be subjected to similar 

 treatment, and allowed to remain if there is sufficient 

 space. The summer Pruning of fruit-trees which do not 

 bear on spur branches is of an entirely different character. 

 Apples, Apricots, Pears, and Plums four of our principal 

 fruits bear more or less on spurs ; but two others, also of 

 great importance Peaches and Nectarines are usually 

 managed so as to fruit on what is called young wood that 

 is, wood made during the previous year. Summer Pruning 

 of these trees consists, therefore, in cutting out whatever 

 wood is known to be useless, and in laying-in and en- 

 couraging new shoots to take its place. Disbudding may 

 be considered a branch or part of Pruning, inasmuch as 

 the young shoots removed thereby at an early stage 

 have not to be taken out afterwards, and the full exposure 

 to light, which is such an essential condition, is insured 

 to the foliage of those that are allowed to remain. 



At the winter Pruning, all trees should be examined, 

 but much less work will be required where proper at- 

 tention has been bestowed through summer; indeed, the 

 operator will readily see why each of the shoots 

 has been preserved, and will understand which have 

 been left with the intention of being taken out during 

 winter. All weak wood may always be cut away, but 

 attention should be given to leaving eyes, if possible, 

 to furnish wood afterwards where it is required, that, 

 starting afresh, will possibly be of a stronger description 

 the next year. As a rule, fruit-trees are more inclined 

 to become crowded than to be too thin, especially in and 

 about their centres ; this must be guarded against, or 

 sunshine and air cannot get the admission and circulation 



VoL HL 



tueci. 



essential for ripening both fruit and wood. All dead 

 wood should be cut out at the winter Pruning, and the 

 leaving of sterile and nnripened wood or spurs carefully 

 avoided. In Pruning young trees that are intended for 

 training into any particular shape, their form must always 

 be borne in mind, and the leading branches kept at about 

 regular distances from each other. Trees that are full 

 grown, and have reached their intended limits, are most 

 easily pruned in winter, as they require similar restriction 

 and cutting each year, with a removal of some of the spurs 

 and branches when the latter become too numerous. 

 Occasionally, different varieties of a particular fruit re- 

 quire altogether a different system of Pruning, as, for 

 instance, Cherries. All the sweet varieties of these should 

 be pruned on the spur system, while the Morello bears 

 best on the long, young shoots. At the winter Pruning, 

 therefore, all the latter should be allowed to remain, 

 so far as space can be provided for them. See Cherry. 

 Notes on Pruning the different fruits named may also 

 be found under Currant, Tig, Gooseberry, Pear. 

 Plum, Vine, &c. Peaches are dealt with under Nec- 

 tarine. Apple-trees that have not attained full dimen- 

 sions should have about 1ft. left on the tops of the 

 leading branches at each winter Pruning, and some side 

 branches should also be left where there is sufficient 

 room for them to develop. Others not required may be 

 cut back to form spurs ; these, and clusters of buds, are 

 the methods of fruit-bearing which the Apple adopts. 

 Apricot-trees fruit mostly on strong spurs, which must, 

 therefore, be preserved; all the leading shoots must be 

 trained and nailed in, and the side growths cut back 

 for forming spurs. Unfortunately, the branches of these 

 trees are liable to die away, one after the other, until, 

 sometimes, the whole tree goes. Such branches must 

 be cut away, and new ones encouraged to fill up the 

 space : the old ones are those which die off most 

 frequently. Apricot-trees have invariably to be grown 

 on walls; any spurs which get old, and project a long 

 way out, should be gradually taken away at the winter 

 Pruning. 



Boot-pruning has a very important bearing in con- 

 nection with top-growth and fruit-production ; the two 

 last named also often very materially depend on the 

 sort of stock used for working upon. Some stocks 

 are more fibrous-rooted than others, and are not so 

 vigorous-growing as, for instance, the Paradise and 

 Qnince stocks for the Apple and Pear respectively, in 

 comparison with the Crab and wildling Pear. What was 

 at one time performed, or attempted, solely by Pruning, 

 is now much more readily attained, in these two im- 

 portant instances, by the use of stocks that favour a 

 dwarf, pendulous habit, and great productiveness, instead 

 of vigorous wood-growth, which seldom accompanies or 

 precedes a fruitful habit. It is not, however, always 

 desirable or practicable to cultivate trees on dwarfing 

 stocks, and it is then that the effect of Boot-pruning, 

 when adopted, is most plainly marked. This opera- 

 tion is best performed in autumn, but it may be 

 safely practised, under certain conditions, at almost 

 any season, except during spring, and until the 

 leaves have well expanded. No precise rules can 

 be laid down as to when Boot-pruning would be bene- 

 ficial, but it usually proves so when fruit-trees make 

 an over-luxuriant growth, and bear comparatively few 

 blossom-buds. When practised in autumn, a trench 

 should be dug out at a distance from the tree propor- 

 tionate to its size; the soil may then be forked from 

 the ball outwards, and the roots examined. If they are 

 found long, and destitute of fibres, cutting off the 

 leaders will induce them to produce small roots; and 

 this will, doubtless, have the desired effect, eventually, 

 of modifying and checking the top-growth in a corre- 

 sponding manner, and also of increasing fertility. Top- 



2 H 



