364 



TRAINING. 



Fig. 287. Fan-training, third stage. 



ones, must at the proper season be shortened, but to what length must be 

 left entirely to the judgment of the gardener, it, of course, depending upon 



the vigour of the tree. In short- 

 ening the shoot, care should be 

 taken to cut back to a bud that 

 will produce a shoot for the fol- 

 lowing year. Cut close to the 

 bud, so that the wound may 

 heal the following season. The 

 following season each shoot at 

 the extremities of the leading 

 branches should produce, be- 

 sides the leading shoot, one on 

 the upper and two on the under part, more or less, according to the 

 vigour of the tree; whilst each of the secondary branches should pro- 

 duce, besides the leading shoot, one other, placed near to the bottom ; 

 for the grand art of pruning, in all systems to which this class of 

 trees are subjected, consists in preserving a sufficient quantity of young 

 wood at the bottom of the tree ; and on no account must the gardener 

 cut clean away any shoots so placed, without well considering if they 

 will be wanted, not only for the present, but for the future good appear- 

 ance of the tree. The quantity of young wood annually laid in must 

 depend upon the vigour of the tree. It would be ridiculous to lay the 

 same quantity of wood into a weakly tree as into a tree in full vigour. 

 The gardener here must use his own judgment. But if any of the leading 

 shoots manifest a disposition to outstrip the others, a larger portion of young 

 wood must be laid in, and a greater quantity of fruit than usual suffered 

 to ripen on the over- vigorous branch. At the same time a smaller quantity 

 of fruit than usual must be left to ripen on the weaker branch. This will 

 tend to restore the equilibrium better than any other method. Fig. 288 



Fig. 288. Fan-training, complete. 



presents us with the figure of the tree in a more advanced state, well 

 balanced, and well calculated for an equal distribution of sap all over its. 

 surface. Whenever any of the lower shoots have advanced so far as to 

 incommode the others, they should be cut back to a yearling shoot : this 

 will give them room, and keep the lower part of the tree in order. In 



