280 



GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



former position. Next winter the upright leader is pruned to three 

 buds, ' exactly as the maiden shoot the previous season. The two 

 side-buds should again be about twelve inches above the primary hori- 

 zontal branches. Thus from these buds two more horizontal shoots 

 will again develop, and from the third one, an upright shoot for the 

 leader will be formed. This practice is repeated until the tree has 

 attained the desired height. In order to strengthen the horizontal 

 branches, the growth made every summer should be slightly shortened 

 the following winter. Laterals will develop from them, and until the 

 tree has become established, say for two seasons, they may be allowed 

 to grow freely during the summer, so as to render the branches as vigorous 



PEAR. FIRST BRANCHES OF FAN-TRAINED TREE. (See text.) 



as possible. Allow each branch to grow in a slanting direction during 

 summer, and bring them down at right angles to the stem in the autumn. 

 When the tree is well established, instead of allowing the laterals to 

 fully develop, pinch them back to five or six leaves in summer, and in 

 winter prune them to three buds, so as to induce the formation of artifi- 

 cial fruit spurs, if there is room for them ; if not, cut out the shoots 

 altogether. 



Fan-trained Trees. The formation of a fan-trained tree is equally 

 simple : Cut the maiden shoot down to three buds, exactly as advised for 

 a horizontally trained tree. The resulting growths from the two side-buds 

 may be treated as in the last-mentioned form, for they will constitute 

 the two lowest branches. The leading shoot, however, must be cut 

 back to three good buds somewhere near to its base. After shoots 



