147 



sp 



lower end of branch or 

 basal bud. 



into growth, and forces them into what will 

 eventually become fruit spurs. By follow- 

 ing the mode of training and cutting back 

 described above, we have, therefore, around 

 limbs and branches, well distributed about 

 the head, leaf buds which will continue the 

 growth of the tree, and also fruit spurs and 

 fruit buds evenly distributed all over the 

 tree. 



After the fifth year of training, and 

 the sixth year in the case of some later 



varieties, and when the tree has settled down to the bearing stage, 

 little hard pruning will be required. The new wood of the tree is 

 trimmed back every year, and all dead wood, branches that cross 

 and rub against another, and water shoots, are cut out. 



The fruit spurs, however, require at that period some manage- 

 ment, and will then continue bearing for many years more ; unless 

 these spurs are looked after we should have trees over-bearing one 

 season and taking a rest for one season or two after. This is 

 accounted for by the fact that if in young trees the fruit buds are 

 several years in process of formation, they take in bearing trees two 

 or three years, according to circumstances, and it becomes necessary, 

 in order to renew and maintain their vigour, to systematically cut 

 off the old part periodically and thus favour the formation of new 

 buds at their base. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE FRUIT BUDS AND BRANCHES. 

 In pinching back side shoots intended to carry fruit buds, care 

 must be taken not to shorten them too 

 severely, but allow them about four 

 inches. If pinched too short, the little 

 butt or shoot either ceases to grow and 

 dies, leaving a vacant space on the 

 branch, or else a year or two after this 

 excessive pinching two small basal 

 buds push forth on each side of the 

 suppressed shoot; those will ulti- 

 mately blossom, but at the loss of a 

 season or two, or again premature 



Shoot rightly pinched. gh(X)tg ^ grQWj which ^ likewise 



be a longer time setting to fruit, and are not likely to be so fruitful 

 as better constituted shoots properly pinched would be. 



Shoots pinched too far back, and the result in different stages of growth. 



