OF DWARF FRUIT TREE CULTURE. 



49 



of the remainder being converted into fruit spurs by pinching out 

 the growing point; only the end bud is allowed to extend, or per- 

 haps one or two others required to cut back to. When stone fruits 

 are beginning to swell they must be cleaned of dead flowers, etc. 

 In most cases the fruits must be thinned out. Pears and apples will, 

 as a rule, thin themselves out, but peaches, nectarines and apricots 

 set too many fruits, all of which would mature if allowed. They must 

 have the crop reduced, going over it three times, once when the fruit 

 has set, again when it is the size of a nut, and finally after stoning 

 is finished. 



ESPALIER BEARING FRUIT 



Fig. 50 



After peaches and nectarines have stoned and when apples and 

 pears are swelling the trees should be top-dressed and given liquid 

 manure diluted with water, about twice a week. A good top- 

 dressing is : Equal parts of horse droppings and loam mixed to- 

 gether, spread out into a bed about a foot deep, and saturate with 

 water. This is ready for use the day after it is made. The mixture 

 is placed on the surface of the soil, about two inches deep near the 

 pot rim and sloping towards the stem of the tree; renew when the 

 fruit is coloring. Summer pinching controls the growth of the trees. 

 When a shoot has made about six inches of growth the tip should be 

 pinched off ; the leading shoot of a pyramid may be allowed to extend 

 rather more. The top shoots of a tree (always the most vigorous) 

 are pinched first ; this keeps them from taking the lead and keeping it. 



Insects must never be allowed to get the upper hand. Aphides 

 are killed by fumigation, directly they are noticed. Red spider 

 thrives in dry heat and is kept down by syringing, forcibly wetting 



