tlie pear and -[ilum as tu the apple. Jonatliaii leaders vnist never he allowed to 

 (JO Kiishortnu'd eaeh in'ntrr jinnihuj, not only because it is unnecessary with this 

 variety, but, more important still, because it so weakens the leaders that it is diffi- 

 cult t(_i get strength into them again : they will bear fruit to the extremities and 

 break down, or the tree l.iecomes a dislocated wreck so far as shape and form is 

 concerned. 



Such varieties as the Rome Beauty do not spur on the laterals if they are 

 left impruned, but only on the tips, therefore, none but the short laterals should 

 lie left unshortened. They make strong lateral growth after each winter pruning, 

 liut can be thro-i\Ti into bearing by judicious summer pruning of the laterals. The 

 leaders of apple trees should never be summer pruned, only the lateral growth. Other 

 \-arieties are naturallj- prolific and form their spurs readily unaided, and the laterals 

 can be short pruned dm-ing the winter as they spnir readily under this treatment, 

 l;iut in all '' Natural Spurrers,'' such as Dunn's Seedling, Five Crown. Statesman, 

 Cleo]iatra, Kokewood, and others of the same class, consideration must be given 

 to the due protection of the bark of the tree from sunsoald mentioned before 

 and to allow sufficient foliage for the assimilation process. It is therefore very neces- 

 sary to leave longer laterals at regular intervals up the leaders so as to provide 

 the necessary foliage, for it must be remembered that these natviral spurs are only 

 ^liort pointed spurs until the tree ages, and as each carries a fruit or two with 

 perhaps onlj' two or three leaves close into the leader, very little foliage is provided 

 either for shelter or for the assimilation process. A good, vigorous, healthy tree 

 will Ijear in its fourtli or fifth year, and only a little fruit should be permitted 

 before this age is reached, or otlierwise serious harm will result by stunting its 

 growtii, and the grower will pay dearly who tries to make a tree productive before 

 it reaches an age when it may be productive without distress. The crop can be 

 gradually increased each year until the tree is carrying up to its full capacity. 



After the fourth year the leaders are left longer (if not permitted to go unpruned 

 for a season) in priming so as to gradually decrease the wood growth and throw 

 the vigour of the tree (which must be kept up) into fruit production, but the leaders 

 must never be allowed to become too weak and willowy to carrj' their fruit, and 

 no fruit must be permitted on the tops of the leaders luitil they are strong enough 

 to carry the weight without breaking or becoming distorted. Once the tree has 

 reached a suitable height and begins to bear good crops of fruit, the leaders should 

 be hard pruned so as to maintain the top growth, because the maturing of the 

 fruit will now check the excess of wood growth. 



The Jonathan. — This tree requires nrore skill in pruning than most varieties, 

 but no apple repays proper handling better. It is ^•ery often necessary to priuie 

 the Jonathan to inside buds or to an upright lateral to prevent the tree from spread- 

 ing too wide. The laterals (and leaders) should onlj- be shortened to good stout 

 buds, as the first two are invariablj' blind. Figures 8 and 9 show a well groTvn three- 

 year old Jonathan, unpruned and pruned. It will be seen, although the tree 

 is only three years old, that a number of leaders have alreadj' been obtained, there 

 being 12 in the illustration, and a few more will be added during the fourth pruning, 

 bringing the number up to about 18 or 2i in all, the nvnnber being dependent 

 on the S|)read of the tree. It will be noticed how well spaced these leaders are, 

 no crowding, ample space being left not only in the centre of the tree, but also 

 between each leader, with plenty of room for the lateral growth so necessary for 

 this A'ariety to bear its fruit upon ; the king laterals ha\-e been shortened in, es- 

 pecially those towards the tops of the leaders, wliile shorter ones of lighter wood 

 have not been cut back. It is not advisable to fornr too many fruiting spurs 

 on such a young tree, especially on the extremities of the leaders; these spurs 

 are gradually Ijuilt up each year, a greater number being left un])runecl each winter. 

 In this way the bearing capacity of the tree is not overtaxed but gradually built 

 up from year to year ; each seas(.iu the spins on tlie previous year's wood being 



