164 OF PRUNING. 



SECT. XII. 



spur there. But even fair spurs should not be suf- 

 fered to grow too thick ; trees bearing small pears 

 may have theirs four inches asunder, and the large 

 six. 



Several summer shoots will come out about the 

 fruit spurs ; yet it is not adviseable to cut all of 

 them off as they -appear, but only the strong and 

 most unsightly : one moderate shoot may be left to 

 each, and shortened when the wood is hardened, to 

 about six inches; and then cut clean out at the ge- 

 ?ieral pruning. All superfluous shoots except those 

 mentioned as allowed of, should be displaced while 

 young ; but though rubbing, or breaking off, in all 

 cases are preferable to the knife, do not use this me- 

 thod when shoots are so big as to tear the wood with 

 them. Shoots from spurs will never come to any 

 thing, and must not be trained. 



The time for general or winter pruning of pear 

 trees ought to be November, as the blossoms are 

 then very discernible, and at spring pruning they 

 get so turgid and tender, that almost the least touch 

 knocks them off, or even the jarring of the tree. 

 What is now to he cut out will be understood from 

 what has been said ; only when the bunches of spurs 

 get too thick and projecting, some must occasionally 

 be removed, and a thin sharp chissel and mallet will 

 do the work well, where the wood is too strong or 

 awkwardly placed for the knife. When a tree gets 

 to the extent of its bounds, it is to be shortened 

 down to a well-placed young shoot, which may serve 

 for a leader ; which leader should already have been 

 provided by the pruner's provident selection in the 

 summer. 



Where wood is wanted to fill a vacant place, a 

 shoot may be accordingly shortened ; but otherwise 

 there must be no shortening, except down to a single 



, wkh a view (as was said) to forming fruit spurs, 



