GENERAL PRACTICE. PRUNING. 165 



that push afterwards arc also stopped to one leaf. At the winter pruning the shoot is 

 shortened to the bar (e). These represent the whole of the growths except the leading 

 shoots or extensions, which do not differ in formation from the wood shoot (), but they 

 require different treatment. Instead of stopping the leading growths of pyramid and 

 bush trees closely, they may grow a little more than a foot long, and then be stopped. 

 This will cause the base buds to swell, and one or more shoots to push from the upper 

 buds. The uppermost should be allowed to grow until it has three full-sized leaves, 

 and then have the point removed. Other laterals are to be stopped to one leaf, and 

 subsequently as made. Such are the details of summer pruning as regards pyramids 

 and bushes, as well as the side-growths of trees grown on the restrictive system. The 

 extension shoots of horizontally trained trees do not require stopping, but should be 

 trained in their full length until the allotted space is occupied, when they and all 

 growths are to be treated as advised for side-shoots. 



The first pinching or pruning should be practised from mid-June to mid-July; 

 the second early in September, removing gross shoots, shortening those with more 

 than six full-sized leaves to that number, and the ends of the main branches to a 

 foot, more or less, as space may dictate. This comprises the whole summer pruning, 

 and trees that are not thereby kept compact and fruitful, but grow luxuriantly, 

 and produce few blossom buds, must be root-pruned in autumn, or as soon as the 

 leaves commence changing. When trees bear freely, the demands of the fruit keep 

 the growths in subjection, too much so when the branches are heavily laden, in 

 which case they must be relieved of some of their burden by thinning the fruit. This 

 will be further referred to, and special methods of pruning described for different kinds 

 of fruit. 



The beneficial effects of pruning the young growths on a branch of a cherry or plum 

 tree in summer, also the adverse result of neglect, are shown in Fig. 39, page 166. On the 

 left is part of a branch on which the growths had been pinched in summer, and further 

 cut back in winter, as represented in 1. In 2 the basal buds are more advanced in 

 consequence of pruning being deferred until spring. The extent of the pruning is 

 shown by the cross lines, and the parts removed by the outlines. At the base of the 

 shoots, or interspersed with the blossom buds, are some (and in most cases enough) 

 wood buds from which growth is pushed the following year, as indicated by the dotted 

 lines. These growths attract the sap to the fruit whilst making provision for continued 

 productiveness. The roots of a tree witb the above fruitful characteristics are fibrous, 



