1 88 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



proper foundation for permanent horizontally-trained 

 trees in the fig-house border. It is questionable if 

 it would be any loss of time, in bringing trees into a 

 fruitful condition, to keep the plants two instead of 

 one year in comparatively small pots, to get them into 

 what may be termed a semi-stunted growth. 



As soon as they have ripened their wood and shed 

 their leaves, they can be stored away in any place 

 where they will neither be exposed to severe frost 

 nor to a temperature high enough to excite them into 

 growth before spring, keeping them just moist at the 

 root, but nothing more. About midwinter they should 

 be pruned, if they require any pruning at all, after the 

 way which I have recommended them to be stopped 

 when growing. The trees will have a leading shoot 

 and two pairs of horizontal growths. If the leading 

 shoot is, however, longer than is sufficient to reach to 

 two wires of the fig-house beyond the highest pair of 

 laterals, cut it back to that extent ; and if the lateral 

 growths are not thoroughly ripened, shorten them back 

 to firm wood. Eemove all the buds with the point 

 of a sharp knife from the leader, except the highest 

 three, one of which will form the leader, and the two 

 next to it the lateral growths to train right and left 

 to the wires, and other two buds to break into growth, 

 to furnish the lowest unfurnished wire : thus leaving 

 on the leading stem of last season's growth five buds 

 to furnish a leading, and two pairs of horizontal 

 growths for the two lowest unfurnished wires. By 

 pruning the trees when at rest, they do not bleed so 

 much as when cut in spring with the sap in motion. 



