as trained against a Wall. 



those shoots which push afterwards in that season do not ar- 

 rive at a sufficient degree of maturity to withstand the winter, 

 and are frequently destroyed by frost. When it happens that a 

 tree has not done well in the early part of the season, and the 

 upright shoot is not of a suitable length or vigour at the proper 

 period for stopping it, it is not meddled with afterwards until 

 the winter pruning of the tree. When the tree grows either 

 too weak or too vigorous, I have recourse to lowering the 

 branches or raising them as required. 



Second Year.— Winter Pruning. At the middle or end of 

 November the tree is pruned. The upright leading shoot 

 is now shortened down to ten inches from the place 

 where it; was last stopped. The tree will now be represented 

 by the accompanying sketch. {Jig. 1 .) The side shoots (but 

 which will hereafter be 

 termed branches) are not 

 shortened, but left their full 

 length. If, during sum- 

 mer, the end of a branch 

 should have been accidentally 

 broken or damaged, the ge- 

 neral consequence resulting 

 from it is the production of 

 several shoots or fruit buds. 

 If shoots (which is very ge- 

 nerally the case) were pro- 

 duced, and were shortened 



during summer agreeably to directions for similar shoots in the 

 treatment of the tree for the second year (see Summer Prun- 

 ing), they are now cut down to about half an inch in length. 

 (Jig. 2.) If, instead of shoots, natural fruit buds should have 

 been produced (these are short and stiff, from half an inch to 

 an inch in length, and red at the ends), such are allowed to 

 remain untouched, as it is on those that fruit are produced. 

 The advantage of shortening back the upright shoot as much 

 as is directed to be done is, that by it branches are certain to 

 be produced at those places desired, so that no vacancy oc- 

 curs. The leading upright shoot thus attended to will reach 

 the top of a wall twelve feet high in seven years, which is as 

 soon as the tree will be able to do, so as to support every part 

 sufficiently. The tree is always loosened from the wall every 

 winter pruning ; the wall is swept and washed, also recoloured 

 with paint or coal tar if required ; the tree is also anointed 

 with composition. I always lay some fresh mulch to the 

 roots of the trees at this time. 



b 2 



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