TRAINING THE PLUM. 17 



leaflets are made, the tree being lifted every season in 

 October to bring it to a fruit-bearing state, if not 

 otherwise so inclined. As soon as an abundance of 

 short fruit spurs are formed, as in a a a, let the tree 

 remain till it shows signs of vigorous growth, which 

 the Plum will do in strong soils after a few seasons ; 

 then give it another check by lifting. 



In the case of Fig. 13 the fruit spurs are situated on 

 the laterals, which may be equally good, as these 

 laterals may be extended to a considerable length so 

 long as the fruit spurs can be sustained in good order 

 nearest the cordon leader, a a. Perhaps three feet on 

 each side are as much as they should extend from the 

 body of the tree, as the growth will alwaj^s run to the 

 ends, and so rob the spurs near the leader, but this must 

 be overruled by lifting and replanting. 



Plum-trees are a mere name in most gardens, and 

 will remain so, as long as they are allowed to grow as 

 they choose through the summer, and then merely 

 having cut off in the winter what they have made in 

 growth during the summer. The lifting, replanting, 

 and the nipping in during the summer are the only 

 means by which the Plum can be made to bear freely 

 every year. The Plum is an early flowerer, especially 

 in such counties as Devon and Cornwall, which are of 

 an unusually mild climate, and abounding with mois- 

 ture in the air, from their proximity to the sea-coast 

 on three sides. 



The Plum, Apricot, and some Pears, generally get too 

 forward as regards the flower, and thereby get cut off by 

 the late spring cold winds, so that not one season in 

 five do we get anything like a crop of some kinds of 

 early Pears (I mean some early-flowering Pears), nor a 

 crop of Plums ; and in the case of Greengages seldom 

 or never. To remedy this, something more than the 

 ordinary way of growing Plums, such as is adopted in 

 those counties, must be resorted to ; and for this 

 nothing can be better than Mr. Eivers's " Hedge 

 Orchard-house," which, for the convenience of my 

 readers, I may venture to describe, with some little 



