Summer Pruning Pyramidal Pear Trees. 301 



And now, to give some aid to those who have addressed us 

 many inquiries upon the subject, we propose making a few 

 remarks, that they may lose no time in getting their trees 

 into that preparatory state which shall render them abund- 

 antly fruitful another season. 



We shall take the trees as they now appear, the first week 

 in July. If the soil is good and the trees healthy, and no 

 summer pinching oflf has yet been done, the shoots will have 

 grown from six to eighteen inches long, according to the 

 kinds, soil, manure, &c. Finding them thus, we proceed to 

 prune them : — 



If the winter pruning was judiciously done, — and we have 

 not room to speak of that now, — each shoot will have made 

 two or more new shoots from the ends of the branches which 

 were shortened back. If the last year's shoots are examined, 

 it will be found that generally but few, if any, of the eyes 

 have pushed, in consequence of the sap being directed to the 

 young terminal shoots. If then this upward tendency of the 

 sap is not checked, none of the buds below will break, and 

 no fruit spurs be formed ; for we take it for granted that it is 

 well known the pear, with ie\\r exceptions, only bears upon 

 spurs on the old wood. Pinching off the tips of the young 

 wood has a tendency to make the eyes break, though not 

 always, and this is the benefit to be derived from summer 

 pruning ; but merely nipping off the shoot will not do, for if, on 

 some kinds, it is nipped off too soon or too short, the terminal 

 eye breaks and goes on growing as before. Here is where 

 the amateur is in error, for he imagines that all should be 

 pinched off alike, and, to his great disappointment, often 

 finds his labors of no effect. The information that is wanted 

 to prevent this it is almost impossible to convey in an article ; 

 much may be learned, but constant practice and observation 

 alone will ensure entire success. So far, however, as we can 

 guide the cultivator we shall endeavor to do so. 



Supposing that there are three terminal shoots, as first 

 stated ; if the tree is moderately vigorous the first step is to 

 nip off (or cut, if too hard to pinch with the thumb and 

 finger) the two side shoots to two eyes, unless one or both 

 are wanted to fill some vacancy in order to make a symmet- 

 rical head ; at the same time the leading shoot may be 



