SECOND YEAR'S TRAINING. 51 



on the long shoots left for fruit just enough of 

 leaves to nourish the fruit. 



Two shoots for each spur are required. If 

 any spur have not the necessary two shoots 

 on it, then it is a vast defect, and must be 

 remedied by pinching back judiciously at first, 

 and by endeavouring to encourage the single 

 shoot to become double; of course the nearer 

 to the spur the better. In this case all our en- 

 deavours must be directed to obtain the two 

 shoots, quite irrespective of fruit, and at this 

 winter's pruning, if there be but that melancholy 

 single shoot, then vigorously cut in to two leaf- 

 buds, not the fruit-buds, for if you do the 

 spur is ruined for ever. However, even then 

 the whole tree is not spoilt, for there are so many 

 spurs, and so many shoots, that a remedy can 

 always be found. A practised eye will see the 

 difference between a fruit and a leaf-bud almost 

 at once certainly by midsummer ; while a mere 

 beginner would be puzzled to decide till the 

 ensuing spring. 



Second Yearns Training. We come now to the 

 tree in the Frontispiece marked "second year." 

 The first leader A will rapidly ascend and reach 

 the top of the wall, and the lateral left to form 

 the second leader B, having also shot out, is 

 turned up sharply, when it has reached twelve 

 inches from its starting place. It will, in the 

 course of this year, reach to about half-way 



E 2 



