THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



Jan. tinguish between old and young wood. Apart from the 

 ^"^5 fact that the latter grows at the ends or from the sides 

 of the former, it is paler in colour. A " spur " is also 

 easily distinguished on Apples and Pears. It consists 

 of a short, knotty growth, with two or more buds on 

 a mature branch. There is no other growth in any 

 way resembling a spur on either Apples or Pears. The 



spur might be confused 

 on an Apricot, Cherry, 

 or Plum, because these 

 fruits often develop 

 shoots that are neither 

 "spurs" proper nor 

 "shoots "proper. They 

 are from three to six 

 inches long, and ter- 

 minate in a plump bud. 

 ^^^ Gardeners call them 

 " stubs." They do not 

 need any pruning. In 

 addition to learning the 

 differentkindsof growth, 

 beginners should learn 

 to distinguish between 



a. Tree unpruned. b. Tree pruned. gj^Q^^ ^^^jg ^^^ £j.yj^ 



buds on the dormant tree, by which I mean the buds 

 which develop stem and leaves when they start growing 

 in spring, and those that produce blossoms. This is an 

 easy matter, as the shoot buds of nearly all fruit trees are 

 thin and pointed, and the fruit buds plump and rounded 

 at the tips. An amateur who is familiar with the char- 

 acteristic bud can prune much better than one who is not. 

 Pruning Apples. — Those who plant Apples should 

 buy quite young trees, and be satisfied if they get fruit 

 28 



Fig. 6.— Pruning a Nurseryman's 

 Maiden Apple. 



