PRUNING AND TRAINING. 31 



The more the sap is retarded in its circulation, the less 

 wood, and the more fruit-buds trill it develop. 



Trees do not begin to form their flower-buds until 

 they have acquired a certain development. Before 

 these flower-buds appear, it is necessary that the sap 

 circulate slowly, and that it by this means undergoes 

 a more complete elaboration in the leaves; without 

 this it can only grow wood-producing buds. When 

 trees have acquired a certain degree of development, 

 the rapidity of the circulation is checked by the extent 

 and broken character of the ramifications through 

 which the sap has to run ; it is only then that the 

 flower-buds begin to form. The appearance of these 

 organs is so much due to the diminished action of the 

 sap upon the branches, that trees never have more 

 flower-buds than when suffering in this way. 



The following operations, in the order set down, will 

 tend to retard the action of the sap, and cause a greater 

 quantity of fruit-bearing spurs upon the trees. Allow 

 the branch to extend itself by training the wood very 

 long, and the result will be a less vigorous growth 

 which is more conducive to fruit-bearing. 



Apply to the branches which groiv from the successive 

 extensions of the wood, and also to those ichich spring from 

 them, the operations calculated to diminish their vigour. 

 These operations are, for shoots, pinching and twisting, 

 and for the branches, breaking, either complete or 

 partial. These mutilations, which we shall describe 

 further on, have for their object to diminish the vigour 

 both of these smaller and larger branches, by forcing 



