62 



are badly broken and distorted, and fruit is badly marlced and injured by the 

 limbs coming in contact with each other 



The pear is treated in pruning, for the first three years, much as illustrated 

 for other fruit, at\d pruned hard to obtain wide, stocky, main and sub-arms. 

 These latter should be subdivided and forked until from 15 to 18 main leaders 

 have been obtained ; and it should be possible to obtain all the necessary leaders 

 by the fifth j-ear from the time of planting. 



Each variety should be carefully studied, for there ace great differences in the 

 growth of many varieties, and the pruner must use great care and judgment in 

 training each variety to the required form, and also exercise care in treating the 

 spur-growth, for some trees will spar naturally on the short laterals if these are 

 left, while others take years of winter pruning to develop fruiting spurs upon the 

 laterals. These latter can be quickly converted into fruiting laterals by both 

 summer and winter-pruning of the laterals. 



Williams Bon Chretien or Bartlett. — This is a very easy pear to prune, provided 

 a good start is made, for it natiu'ally runs up. A good wide base is required to 

 build upon. When planting, remove the centre and throw tlie tree into wide, 

 well-placed laterals. In the first pruning, again throw the tree wide, and prune 

 hard, about six to nine inches being left, and cut out all laterals on the inside ; thin 

 and shorten in those on the outside of the main arms, leaving only a few. The 

 second year, prime hard, to leave about nine to 12 inches, and obtain a well- placed 

 fork on each of last year's arms, if possible. This can often be attained by using 

 an outside lateral to form a fork, and ultimately a leader. Trees can often be 

 widened by utilising these laterals in the early stages of the tree's growth, and the 

 necessary number of leaders can often be quickly obtained. The earlier you can 

 obtain a number of leaders, the better, for the strong growth which the pear makes 

 can be spread over a number of sub-arms, and by this means, together with widen- 

 ing the base, the tree's tendency to run to the centre is checked or negatived, and 

 a more even development of tree and leaders is obtained. As before stated, all 

 necessary leaders should be got by the fifth season. Thin out the lateral growth 

 and shorten in that required, since bare limbs must not be permitted. In the 

 third year prune from one foot to 18 inches, again obtaining a well-placed fork on 

 each of the previous year's arms, if possible, and have plenty of room, for the 

 base must not be crowded. We should now have at least eight leaders. Shorten 

 in and thin the lateral growth. The fourth year prune a little longer, leaving about 

 two feet, according to gi'owth and stoutness of the tree, again getting a fork where- 

 ever possible, and required, on each of last year's arms ; and keep all laterals cut 

 back and thinned. The lateral growth should be both sunnner and winter-j^runed, 

 short spurs or laterals always being left alone. Figures G7 and 68 show a four-year 

 WilliaittS unpruned and pruned. It will be noticed how badly this tree was pruned 

 in its early stages ; the base is all orami^ed up. The tree was two years old when I 

 took it in hand. By throwing out the sub-arms and utilising outside laterals for 

 future leaders a fairly shapely tree has been secured, but the narrow base is a very 

 serious fault, and although this can be rectified in the manner shown, yet the tree 

 obtains some height before the needful width is gained. The tree has 17 leaders, 

 and it will be seen that these are now left fairly long. The short laterals have not 

 been touched, but all the longer ones have been shortened hard back, and will be 

 again primed in the summer — about the beginning of March. Keep the tree 

 well-balanced, and do not have more leaders on one side than on another, but space 

 thein well all round the hollow centre, so that light and au- can penetrate round 

 and about each leader. Figure 69 shows an aged tree built up in this manner. 

 The tree in question has a nice roomy base, giving a wide open tree with plenty 

 of room for the 18 leaders it carries. These leaders are well-placed, and the tree 

 is well-balanced and shapely ; the leaders are sturdv and carry fruiting-wood 



