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useless wastrels, crowding each other, and making fruit 

 spurs only at the end of each switch. Whereas when only 

 three or four of the buds are allowed to shoot from the cut- 

 back remainder of a similar yearling, there would be as 

 many fine strong radial bearers running up for a year, to be 

 pruned back in winter for an exactly similar production of 

 secondary radial shoots. You might explain and get a 

 grudging acquiescence. But you would always be looked 

 upon as a sort of horticultural Herod among the Innocents. 

 The great thing to be desired is that no one should under- 

 take planting and training fruit trees unless he will consent 

 to be taught by seeing the skilled practice of others. It is 

 a common custom to leave more of the stem of an apple tree 

 and a pear than would be done with stone-fruit trees. But 

 care must be taken to let no more than four or five buds 

 start on, and to choose these so that they divide the stem 

 among them evenly. Thus, let the first be about nine 

 inches above the ground, the next four or five inches higher 

 and pointing not exactly opposite in direction, but about a 

 third of the way round. Still higher, let the next bud- 

 shoot start another span higher arid fetch up another third 

 of the circle. Clearly, if this be done with a little judg- 

 ment, your mature tree will have a much stronger wood- 

 system as its foundation, than if all the three or four main 

 branches started away from just about the same height. 

 Nor is it advisable ever to permit more than four or five of 

 these to go to the making of the tree. Four is decidedly 

 preferable, and adhering to that number, small as it seems 

 when the tree is young, will save an enormous amount of 

 labour in after years in cutting out the useless perpendicu- 

 lars that always form within the head of a tree that is too 

 crowded. 



If you have as yet no practised knowledge of sorts, begin 

 from the first to acquire it by observation of the little ways 

 your trees affect. They betray themselves to you, or 

 rather, make you their confidant as you walk among them. 

 Some sorts will let you see that they like to draw them- 

 selves in and run upwards as if they were imitating a 

 poplar. Very good, it is for you to remember that habit, 

 and always or mostly to cut to an outside bud, when pruning. 

 'You are their master a skilled master you should be 



