138 FRUIT GARDEN. 



the winter pruning is nothing more than adjusting the 

 leading shoots and thinning out the spurs, which should, 

 be kept close to the wall and allowed to retain only 

 two, or at most three buds. In fan-training the sub- 

 ordinate branches must be regulated, the spurs thinned 

 out, and the young laterals which had been loosely 

 nailed in during summer must be finally established in 

 their places. 'No crowding of branches should be per- 

 mitted. When horizontal trees have fallen into disor- 

 der they may be renovated in the manner represented 

 at p. 53 a, a procedure patronized by Mr. Knight ; or 

 ail the branches may be cut back to within nine inches 

 of the vertical stem and branch, and trained in afresh, 

 as recommended by Mr. Lindley. 



When some of the finer pear-trees produce an abun- 

 dance of blossom, but do not set well, as not unfrequently 

 happens, artificial impregnation may be partially re- 

 sorted to ; that is, the blossom of some other kind of 

 pear, plentifully provided with pollen, may be taken, 

 and the farina dusted over the best looking blossoms of 

 the less productive tree. 



Summer and autumn pears should be gathered before 

 they be fully ripe, otherwise they will not in' general 

 keep more than a few days. The Jargonelle, as Forsyth 

 rightly advises, should be allowed to remain on the tree 

 and pulled daily as wanted, the standard fruit thus suc- 

 ceeding the produce of the wall-trees. In reference to 

 the Crasanne, Mr. Lindley recommends gathering the 

 crop at three diiferent times, the first a fortnight or 

 more before it be ripe, the second a week or ten days 

 after, and a third when fully ripe. The first gathering 

 will come into eating latest, and thus the season of the 

 fruit fiiay be considerably prolonged. It is evident 



