36 THE FRUIT GARDEN. [JAN. 



i 



aforesaid, without reducing them in length either in the summer or 

 winter pruning. 



By the above practice, the shoots of branches of these trees will, 

 about the second or third year after they are laid in, begin to pro- 

 duce short shoots or spurs (as they are generally termed) about an 

 inch or two in length, some not above half an inch j and from these 

 the fruit is produced. 



But if the branches of these trees were to be shortened, it would 

 be cutting off the very part where blossom buds or spurs first begin 

 to appear; and instead of those fruitful parts, they would send forth 

 a number of strong wood- shoots. This plainly shows that the shoots 

 which were intended for fruit-bearing must not be generally short- 

 ened, for if that is practised, the trees would constantly run to wood, 

 and never produce any tolerable crop of fruit. 



If, indeed, there is a want of wood in any part of these trees, then 

 the occasional shortening of some of the adjacent young shoots may 

 be necessary, whereby to promote a production of laterals the ensuing 

 summer, to furnish the vacancy. 



For instance, if there is any vacant part in the tree, and two, 

 three, or more shoots are requisite to furnish that vacancy, and only 

 one shoot was produced in that part the preceding summer, that shoot, 

 in such a case, being now shortened to four or five buds,if it be strong, 

 will produce three or four lateral shoots. 



PRUNING PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 



This is also a proper season to prune plums and cherries, either 

 against walls or espaliers, especially where the weather is mild. 



Let it be observed in the pruning of these trees against walls or 

 espaliers, that, like the apples and pears, they being of the. spur- 

 bearing kind, producing the fruit upon short natural spurs or studs, 

 emitted along the sides of the branches, or from two or three to many 

 years old, so must accordingly retain the same branches many years 

 for bearers, which must not be shortened in the course of pruning, 

 but trained horizontally at their full length, about three or four to 

 five or six inches asunder; also all young shoots of the last year's 

 growth, as are now proper to be reserved in vacancies, to furnish the 

 wall or espalier with bearing wood, must not be shortened ; but every 

 such shoot or branch must be left entire ; and this should at all times 

 be observed, which is the only certain method whereby to render the 

 branches fruitful. 



In the operation of pruning these trees, observe, as advised for 

 the apple and pear trees, to give proper attention both in any young 

 trees still under training, and in the fully trained older trees furnished 

 with the requisite expansion of branches. 



Observing, in the former, i. e., the young trees under training, 

 that where further supplies of branches are required in order to form 

 a proper expansion of bearers trained in regularity, should be careful 

 to leave some best well-placed young shoots for that purpose, and 

 cut out the improper and unnecessary, such as fore-right and other 

 irregular placed growths ; or also any superfluous or over-abundant 



