I 



34 PRUNING. 



bearing shoots are produced instead of one. And tlie English 

 practice of spurrinff-in, "which consists in annually shortening 

 the lateral shoots of trained Pears, Apples, and the like, in order 

 to make them throw out short fruit branches, or spurs, is founded 

 on the same principle. 



Bending down the Umhs is an easy and simple means of throw- 

 ing such branches directly into fruit. By this means the circu- 

 lation is retarded, rapid growth ceases, organizable matter accu- 

 mulates, and fruit-buds, as before stated, surely follow. The 

 limbs are bent^ while flexible, in June or July, and tied down 

 below a horizontal line until they retain of themselves their new 

 position. When this can be easily applied, it is a never-failing 

 mode of rendering such branches fruitful. It is stated in Lou- 

 don's Gardener's Magazine that " a very large crop of Pears was 

 obtained by the Rev. Mr. Fisher, in Buckinghamshire, from trees 

 which had not borne at all, by twisting and breaking down the 

 }oung shoots, late in the autumn, Avhen the wood had become 

 touQ;h ; and the pendent branches afterwards continued per- 

 fetly healthy." 



Disharking and Ringing are two modes that have been recom- 

 mtnded by some authors, but of which, except as curious expe- 

 riments, we entirely disapprove. Disharking, that is, removing 

 the outer bark of the trunk in February, May, or March, is and 

 may be practised with good results on trees in very sheltered posi- 

 tiuns, and under glass, but must always be a somewhat danger- 

 o\is practice in open orchards, and in a variable climate like 

 ours ; while its good effects may in a great measure be attained 

 by keeping the bark in a healthy state by a wash of soft soap. 

 Hinging^ which is nothing more than stopping the descending sap 

 ill a branch, and forcing it to organize blossom buds, by taking 

 off a ring of bark, say a fourth or half an inch, near midsummer, 

 is a mode always more or less injurious to the health of the 

 branch, and if carried to any extent, finally destroys the tree. 

 It is gradually falling into disuse, since root pruning, and other 

 and better modes, are becoming known. A ligature or bandage 

 tightly applied to the limb, will have temporanly the same effect 

 as ringing, without so much injury to the branch. 



Inducing fruitfulness hy other means. 



The influence of certain soils on the productiveness of fruit 

 trees is a subject of every day observation, but the particular 

 ingredients of the soil, which insure this abundant bearing, is not 

 so well known. Limestone soils are almost invariably produc- 

 tive of all sorts of fruit ; and certain strong loams in this coun- 

 try seem to be equally well adapted to this end. 



In a curious work called the " Rejuvenescence of Plants,"etc. 

 by Dr. Schultz, of Ikrlin, the author, who has devoted consider- 



