VI. 



TRAINING AND "PRUNING. 



long j their bark is very smooth, green on the side 

 towards the wall, and red on the side towards the sun. 

 Sometimes the flower-blossoms are assembled in clusters 

 round a short shoot, or spur of one or two inches long, 

 with a wood- bud at the end sufficient to draw the sap 

 which is necessary to nourish the fruit. 



239. First Year Suppose the young tree placed against 

 a wall, the first shoot of the graft (or bud) never having 

 been pruned (plate 6. fig. 1.). Cut it off at six or eight 



PLATE 6. 



FIG. 1. FIG. 2. 



inches above the stock (pi. 6. Jig. 1. a) ; and then, when 

 it has sent out its shoots, nail them, after having taken 

 off all that come before or behind. It is a general rule 

 never to leave any shoots but such as come at the sides of 

 the branches. Choose, amongst your young shoots, two 

 of equal vigour, one on each side, by which means to 

 form your two principal branches that are always to re- 

 main ; and, having done this, cut off all the rest. If one 

 of them become longer or more vigorous than the 

 other, incline it downwards to suffer the other to gain the 

 advantage. If one of the two perish, train the other 

 straight again, prune it precisely as you did the graft, anf* 



