24 



tion. He states: "Generally the first seven axes bear staminate 

 flowers and the eighth axis will be pistillate and so on, every eighth axis 

 producing pistillate flowers. The most important point of all comes 

 in here, in relation to the bearing of pistillate and staminate flowers. 

 Supposing the first axis to bear a staminate flower, then we shall find 

 in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, that the first axis of the axil- 

 lary branch produced from this axis will bear a pistillate flower. 

 Again, following the branching, we shall find that the tertiary branch 

 produced from the axis of the pistillate flower will produce a staminate 

 flower in its first axis. This seems to be a fixed rule in regard to the 

 whole family, that where we have ^i staminate axis, the first axis of 

 the axillary branch arising from this point will be pistillate, and where 

 we have a pistillate axis, the first axis on the axillary branch from 

 that point will bear staminate flowers. * * * From these staminate 

 axillary axes, will arise tertiary branches, which will produce pistillate 

 axes at the first axil of each branch ; at the same time the axes which 

 bore the pistillate flowers first, will have thrown out a lateral, which 

 will bear staminate 



flowers in the first s // 



axil of that branch. ?, // 



By pruning in this 

 way the plants can be 

 placed closer together, 

 and as we do not have 

 to wait for the axillary 

 branches to grow and 

 spread out we shall get 

 a large return of fruit 

 sooner." 



In the development 

 of the two-shoot sys- 

 tem it is necessary 

 that the plants should 

 be manipulated when 

 small, or at that period 

 when two leaves have 

 developed. The plant 



in this Stacre of devel- Fi<^- 9- Showing the development of the two-shoot system. 

 ^ The leader is cut at c, and two new laterals or leaders develop 



Opment is shown jn from axils, as shown in the dotted lines. 



-'-^ 



,.»rl 



