PINCHING. 



365 



PINCHING. 



than if placed at a further distance from its 

 source." 



Pinching, Rationale, and Mode 

 of. 



Fruit Branches. The following account 

 of the rationale and mode of pinching, and 



FIG. I. DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING SHORTENING 

 OF BRANCHES ACCORDING TO INCLINATION. 



the illustrations that accompany the text, 

 are taken from Du Breuil's work, although 

 the exact wording of his remarks and in- 

 structions has not been always followed : 

 " Fruit branches," he explains, " are 

 developed from the less vigorous buds 

 upon the wood branches. In order to 

 obtain a continued series of fruit buds 

 upon the entire length of a branch exten- 

 sion, it is necessary to cut back a little 

 of the branch, otherwise the wood buds on 

 one part, towards the base, should be cut 

 back according to their degree of inclina- 

 tion." 



Shortening Wood Branches. At this 

 point the question naturally will arise to 

 what extent and in what manner the 

 degree of inclination must influence the 

 shortening. In Fig. I there are three 

 branches which are supposed to emanate 

 from the same point. Of these, A is 

 vertical, B at an angle of 45, and C 

 horizontal. Now, in A, owing to its 

 upright position, the sap will run to the 

 extremity with the greatest vigour, and 

 be most active in the buds between a 

 and the terminal bud, but between a and 



the point of issue from the stem, two-thirds 

 of the length of the entire bough, the buds 

 will remain dormant. In order, then, to 

 cause a proper development of the lower 

 buds the branch must be shortened back 

 to b, which is by just half its length. In 

 B, the progress of the sap is not so rapid, 

 and the buds from c to the extremity will 

 become tolerably well developed, while 

 those between c and the point of issue from 

 the stem will remain dormant. In order, 

 then, to promote the due development of 

 buds near the bottom of the branch, it 

 must be shortened to d, a distance of one- 

 third its entire length. In c, the bough in 

 a horizontal position, the sap will act with 

 equal force at every point of its length, and 

 there is no need to shorten it at all. If 

 we suppose branches D and E growing in 

 intermediate positions, the points at which 

 they are intersected by the arc XY, 

 which passes through b and a, will show 

 the extent to which these branches ought 

 to be shortened. In this lies the whole 

 matter of shortening the yearly extensions 

 of wood at the proper time for doing so. 



Fruit Buds, Treatment of. To return 

 to the fruit buds. "Suppose," says Du 



FIG. 2. MODE OF PINCHING TO FORM 

 FRUIT SPUR. 



Breuil, ' : the pruning has been duly per- 

 formed upon the branch extension, by the 

 beginning of May the branch will be 

 covered with buds upon its entire length. 

 The vigour of the buds will be greatest 



