236 Dwarf Pears, 



DWARF PEARS. — III. 



We shall conclude our series of articles on this subject with a few 

 remarks on pruning. 



It is desirable, if possible, to plant trees two or three years from the 

 bud, which have been properly pruned in the nursery ; but these are 

 not always obtainable, in which case it is better to begin with a one- 

 year-old tree, and we therefore commence with that age. Such trees 

 — maiden plants, as they are termed by nurserymen — are frequently 

 single straight shoots, from three to four feet in length. The first thing 

 to be done is, to head down to a good bud at the height at which we 

 wish the lowest tier of limbs to grow. We would not have this less 

 than one foot from the ground, as this is necessary to afford a circula- 

 tion of air, without which the lower limbs will soon become enfeebled, 

 and ultimately decay. The shoot from the uppermost bud is to form the 

 leader for the continuation of the stem, and, if necessary, must be tied 

 to a stake to keep it straight. It is less trouble, and will generally an- 

 swer the same purpose, to leave an inch of blank wood above the upper 

 bud, to which the young shoot intended for the leader may be tied, 

 just like a growing bud in the nursery. This piece of wood may be 

 removed as soon as the young wood is sufficiently firm, just as the 

 *' snag" is cut away from the bud. The arrangement of the buds of the 

 pear is such, that five complete the circuit of the shoot, the sixth being 

 over the first ; our tree will therefore be most regular in shape if we al- 

 low five buds, besides the leader, to grow as the commencement of the 

 first tier of branches. If the tree is very stocky, all below these may be 

 rubbed off' as soon as they start ; but if slender, it will be better to pinch 

 any shoots from them when two or three inches in length, in order to 

 strengthen the stem, and cut them off" clean at the winter pruning. 

 Some varieties, like Bloodgood and Glout Morceau, instead of making 

 a single clean shoot, form lateral branches the first year, the latter espe- 

 cially often producing a perfect little pyramid. From such ones we 

 would remove all the laterals but just enough to form the first tier of 

 branches, and if there is anything to spare from the leader, we would 

 shorten that also. Such trees will, however, have many more buds than 

 on the single shoot, and, therefore, will require special care in trans- 

 planting to preserve the roots. We will say here that all wounds made 

 by removing limbs at the winter pruning (we apply this term to all 

 pruning done when the tree is in a dormant state), especially on newly- 



