171 



To illustrate the methods of nipping and of disbudding, no 

 better example can be taken than that of the apricot. These trees 

 often throw out two or three shoots from the same knot. In 

 shaping them a good deal of disbudding has to be done, as it is 

 essential that they should not grow in a bunch out of the main 

 stem. 



Supposing at planting time the young tree has been cut back 

 to a stick 18 or 20 inches high, the first shoot should start 12 inches 

 from the ground, and not more than three others at most should be 

 left to divide the space between that height and the top of the stem. 

 Around that stem these three or four branches should be so 

 disposed as to evenly balance, all other intervening shoots being 

 rubbed off as they appear. 



The first year it will be necessary to go over the trees at 

 intervals and rub off all unnecessary shoots, thus to preserve the 

 balance of the tree. Only strong and vigorous shoots are pinched 

 back, any general heading back tending to dwarf the trees. 



The method of cutting back the first winter has been explained 

 in the course of a previous chapter. 



When the young tree starts its second year's growth, all the 

 shoots that come out on the underside of the main limbs which 

 have in the winter been cut back to 6 to 12 inches are rubbed off r 

 with the exception of two growing upward and outward on each 

 limb, so as to continue the growth of the tree and maintain its- 

 proper balance and shape. 



The following year again, when the new shoots are a few inches 

 long, they are again thinned down to two leading ones on 

 each branch, all lateral growths and water shoots which tend to 

 throw the tree out of shape being rubbed off. In doing so care 

 must be taken not to take off the fruit spurs. Thus a strong tree 

 is built up, with sturdy limbs, directed in an upward and outward 

 direction, and capable of carrying a heavy load of fruit, well 

 distributed around those limbs. ' The third year a few apricots will 

 ripen, and after they have been gathered the trees are gone over 

 and topped. 



This operation favours the formation of fruit spurs, and, 

 moreover, prevents the dying back of the branches, which, more 

 especially with stone fruit trees, is a common occurrence when 

 pruned in the depth of a wet winter, at a time when the sap is 

 dormant, and its healing power is not so marked. This done, all 

 that remains to be done is to rectify early in the spring any errors 

 of pruning which may have been done when the foliage did not 

 permit of a correct view of the tree ; at that time about one-half of 

 the season's growth is cut back, due regard being paid to shape and 

 balance, and cross shoots ; water sprouts and dead branches are also 

 taken out. 



