THE PEAR. 79 



their principal branch, and receive an insufficient 

 supply of sap, the action of which will be further 

 restrained by the numerous little ramifications it will 

 have to traverse before reaching the fruit. Besides, 

 such a development of fruit-spurs produces much con- 



rig. 74.- Six Years' Fruit-Spur. Fig. 75. Eight or Ten Years' Fruit-Spur. 



fusion throughout the tree, prevents the light from 

 penetrating, and confines fructification to the ends of 

 the outside branches. If the fruit-spurs are allowed 

 to grow in this way it will be necessary to greatly 

 diminish the number of wood-branches, and leave large 

 vacancies in the tree. 



It will thus be seen that it is necessary to restrain 

 the fruit- spurs within reasonable limits, not allowing 

 them to exceed a length of more than about two 

 inches. When, therefore, they have attained the 

 dimensions, as shown at fig. 75, they must be cut back 

 at A. The action of the sap will thus be forced back 

 towards the base, and give rise to new fruit-buds. 



If the fruit- spurs have already been allowed to attain 

 too great dimensions (fig. 76), it will be necessary to 



