62 THE FRUIT GROWERS GUIDE. 



there is danger of the buds at the base of the shoot not pushing with sufficient vigour 

 to originate side shoots, but the growth of these may be assisted by depressing the upper 

 part of the shoot to the horizontal line or lower, until the lower buds push strongly, 

 when the branch should be trained upright. 



BEARING. 



Fruit is produced by the apricot on the preceding year's wood, and on spurs of one 

 or many years' growth. The finest fruit, however, is borne on shoots a year old. A 

 few illustrations will be elucidatory. 



Fig. 25 represents several growths of the apricot. J is part of a branch of last 

 year's growth, showing fruit bearing and growth extension. K shows bearing on spurs, 

 with a continuation of their growths. 



L shows various characteristic growths of the apricot; #, two-years-old wood; 

 #, leader or terminal growth of a branch ; c y side shoots ; d, spur ; e, a pinched shoot ; 

 /, fruit buds, scaled ; #, wood buds, unsealed ; and h, the terminal bud of a spur, which 

 is always a wood bud. 



Apricot growths are invariably terminated by a wood bud, even when there is one 

 or more fruit buds at the same joint, stout wood having several fruit buds disposed 

 around a wood bud in the centre of the socket. 



M shows a full-sized piece of apricot wood and buds at the end of August. The 

 lowest joint has three fruit and one wood bud, the largest in the centre of the socket ; 

 , a wood bud ; /, two fruit buds, with a wood bud in the centre ; and , a wood bud on 

 the left, and a blossom bud on the right, side of the leaf axil. 



N shows part of a branch ; /, side branches ; m, spurs on two years' wood ; n, spurs 

 on wood more than two years old; 0, two years' wood, cut out at the bars after 

 bearing ; p, shoots of one year's growth for the succeeding year's bearing ; all the 

 bearing wood is of one year's growth, except q, which is a two-year-old shoot, and the 

 spurs, m and n. On the right-hand side of the main branch the branches and shoots are 

 shown pruned and properly adjusted. 



shows part of a branch of a cordon apricot tree on the short pruning system ; 

 r, spurs ; s, side shoots, closely pinched during growth. P indicates the condition of 

 blossom requiring protection ; and Q shows blossom fully expanded, when protection 

 is imperative. 



