33 



shoots only may be allowed to start from the yearling 

 transplant, giving next season six sub -laterals, and these 

 six will result in twelve. Custom and fancy have much 

 to do with the number chosen, and the only thing that can 

 be said is, that it is better to have too few than too many. 

 38. The result of the three years' shaping is to give a tree, 

 not of its own wild natural habit, but of one of the shapes 

 best fitted to turn the whole of its available powers into 

 fruit production. The subjoined figure gives an idea of 



the general type to be aimed at, and a careful study of the 

 direction of the second and third series of shoots will show 

 that the uniform distance apart of the branches forming 

 the crown has been got by cutting after the manner here 

 indicated. The subsequent yearly pruning is really little 

 more than the maintenance of the artificial condition now 

 reached, plus certain adaptations called for by the peculiar 

 habits affected by this tree and that. Thus the peach, the 

 -apricot, the apple and the pear, each require a slightly 



D 



