8 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



In the autumn the second tier of side shoots are brought down from the dotted lines to 

 the position they occupy in JST(page 7), and any priming that may appear necessary should 

 be done. Little of this, however, will be needed if summer pinching has been attended to. 

 A surface dressing of manure will make all complete for the winter, and in spring the 

 tree will be a source of considerable interest from the expanding blossom, and as- 

 summer advances it will appear as shown in the figure, only more fruits may form. 

 Those on the tree have been reduced to twenty-one, and it is only a little over 2| feet 

 wide at the base, and 4 feet high when summer pruned. It is sturdy and fruitful 

 because it has been made to produce an abundance of fibrous roots near the surface of 

 the ground, where the soil is the most fertile, and was kept moist there by the covering 

 of manure, which is termed mulching; and the thin disposal of the branches, with 

 summer pinching, induced the formation of blossom buds. 



Had no care been taken to secure roots near the surface by keeping it moist 

 and fertile, the result would have been very different. With dry and poor surface soil 

 the roots strike downwards in search of water, making few fibres till they reach it,, 

 and the growth is then correspondingly strong, watery, spurless, hence fruitless in 

 character. It may be useful to show the difference between good and bad management 

 in the same figure. 



Fig. 4. L represents a tree the right side of which indicates good manage- 

 ment, the opposite side neglect. Observe the fibrous roots and the growth of the tree. 

 Fruit is being produced on the right side, yet the tree is becoming too vigorous as. 

 is evidenced by the strong shoots pushing at jo, after the leader was stopped at q, also by 

 the extension of the leader (r), and the axillary shoot (s). These are shortened at the 

 bars towards the end of summer, and the ends of the longer shoots are also taken off where 

 shown. In addition, some of them are cut out to within two or three leaves of the base. 

 This is to prevent overcrowding, and to admit the sun and air to the leaves on the longer 

 branches. This is absolutely essential for rendering them fruitful ; but if the tree is to 

 be kept dwarf, its vigour must be checked by root pruning as soon as the leaves fall. The 

 roots cut at the dotted lines (t) across them will arrest growth and increase the fertility 

 of the tree. It is a handsome pyramid 7 feet high and 4 feet through at the base. 



Now turn to the left of the figure. The roots have been driven down to the clay 

 ubsoil for the moisture they could not find near the surface, and the branch growth is 

 appy accordingly, as indicated by the dotted lines, and the leader is apt to be broken by 

 the equinoctial gales. No extent of branch pruning alone can render such gross shoots 



