THE APPLE AND THE PEAR. 219 



2d. Pruning. — ^The tree has now three or four branches 

 destined to be the basis of the frame-work of the 

 head. These branches are cnt back full one half 

 their length, according as the buds in the variety are 

 easily excited or not, the object being to induce all 

 the buds below the cut to push. After growth has 

 commenced, and an inch or two of new wood been made, 

 the shoot from the bud cut to, will be chosen as a 

 leader to continue the extension of the branch ; and if 

 secondary branches be wanted, they will be chosen from 

 those best situated, to fill up the existing vacancies. All 

 the other shoots are pinched when two or three inches 

 long, to convert them into fniit spm-s, and to prevent 

 their interfering with the growth of the wood branches. 

 If one pinching is not sufficient, another must be given 

 in the same way as recommended for pyramidal trees. 

 Indeed, the whole process, as far as it goes, is the same ; 

 but the same efforts are not 

 necessary to maintain an equal 

 distribution of the sap, for the 

 tree is so low, and the form so 

 natural, that no branch is more 

 favorably situated than another ; 

 and hence they are easily kept in 

 an uniform state of vigor. The 

 branches of irregular-growing 

 sorts will require to be secured 

 by stakes in their proper places 

 for a year or two at first, until 



/ , ' , Fig. 103. 



they have assumed a permanent 



. . Dnaif ajple tree, four years 



position. old, stem ten inches high, head 



The third, and all subsequent c^-^p^-^ed of four main branches 



'- and several secondary branches ; 



pruningS, will be conducted on pruned three times as at a, i, now 



the same principles as the first i^ a bearing state. 



and second, already described, until the tree has attained 



