PLUMS. 



101 



often necessary to support the branches with forked 

 props, but these may be to a large extent, if not 

 entirely, dispensed with, by keeping the head some- 

 what compact, as shown in the figure. This plan 

 of shortening a luxuriant branch here and there, 

 when it extends much beyond 

 the others, is practised by the 

 best Nottinghamshire growers, 

 but is not generally adopted, 

 because not generally known. 

 It is seldom, if ever, needed 

 by other Plums. Victoria 

 Plum trees are best on stems 

 not more than 4 feet high, for 

 convenience of pruning and 

 gathering the crops. They 

 are excellent also for walls, 

 fences, and buildings, bearing 

 and ripening well on north *fc- SB-PLUM SPUE. 

 aspects in the southern and midland counties. 



It is desirable that beginners in fruit-growing 

 should learn to distinguish between growth-buds 

 and blossom-buds, or they may do more harm than 

 good with the knife. Blossom-buds are round, as 

 on the spur, fig. 33. The spur was cut from a 

 tree when the buds were swelling, and the shoot 

 on the next page was cut off the spur, leaving 



