Gardening for Amateurs 



979 



centres of the heads or tops of the trees. By 

 early attention to this much pruning in after 

 years is obviated, and there is less danger of 

 overcrowding if for any reason there is neglect 

 in pruning. 



Fig. 2 shows a tree pruned as in Fig. 1 

 after a year's growth. The shortening back 

 of the young growths shown there may be 

 repeated where these are marked d. We 

 seldom cut our standard trees back more 

 than twice, as a sufficient number of main 

 branches are generally secured by this time. 

 After this the pruning of standard Apples 

 becomes more and more a matter of thinning, 

 as shown in Fig. 3. Old trees need at times 

 to have large branches removed where they 

 cross and rub each other, and where they are 

 thickly crowded together. Of course they 

 do not become overcrowded when receiving 

 regular yearly attention. 



One small matter must not be lost sight of 

 in pruning large trees ; the pruning should 

 be carried out as close to the base of each 

 branch as possible. This reduces the chance 

 of decay to a minimum, and there will be 

 few rough short snags left on the trees. 

 Even when pruning is done as carefully as 

 it is possible, there will nearly always be 

 found one or two young shoots springing 

 from the cuts, and unless these are removed 

 the trees will in a short time be just as 

 dense as before pruning. If time can be 

 found during the summer these small growths 

 may be quickly rubbed out, and do not 

 readily grow again ; otherwise they should 

 be cut out as close as possible with a sharp 

 knife the following autumn or winter. 



Cordons. This method of training and 

 growing fruit trees has much to commend it 

 for small gardens. Cordons are suitable for 

 training diagonally against low fences or 

 walls, or fastening to wires in the open. 

 Pruning consists in shortening the leading 

 growth from about one-half to one-third of 

 its length. This is shown in Fig. 4, where 

 three different systems of growing cordons 

 may be seen. Side growths are pinched 

 above five leaves in summer, and pruned 

 back to two or three buds from the main stem 

 in winter. 



Fig. 6 shows a fence or wall filled up with 

 oblique cordons on single stems. The pruning 

 is the same for these ; in this diagram is to 



be seen the method of thinning out old spurs 

 when these have become long and crowded. 

 Young shoots may usually be expected to 



Fig. 1. Young standard pruned at e, 

 after planting. 



