THE PLUM. 



163 



Mode of Bearing. The Plum bears its fruit on spurs 

 formed on the old wood; also on the shoots of the pre- 

 ceding year's growth. The spurs may be of natural for- 

 mation or be artificially formed by shortening lateral 

 growths to four leaves the previous summer. Spurs are 

 clusters of fat plump buds, the latter being easily dis- 

 tinguished from wood buds, which are small and thin. 



Fig. 61. PLUM SHOOTS. 



The shoot on the right is of 

 one year's growth and with 

 wood buds only. On the left 

 is a two-year-old shoot fur- 

 nished with fruiting 1 spurs. 



Fig. 62. EFFECT OF SUMMER PRUNING 

 A PLUM SHOOT. 



Result, the formation of fruit buds. 



Blossom buds are also borne at intervals along the pre- 

 ceding year's growth, sometimes close to the tip. In 

 pruning, therefore, it is essential when shortening a shoot 

 to take care not to cut back to a plump flower bud, but 

 to a thin, small wood bud. (Figs. 60 and 61.) 



Disbudding. This operation applies to trees trained 

 to walls only, and is usually performed in early Sunl- 

 it 



