70 



which grow too upright, cut well above an outside bud or to an outside lateral. 

 INIuch good work can be done during the summer, for by judicious thinning and 

 rubbing off of those shoots not required and pinching back others, a very shapely 

 tree can be quickly made. After the thii-d pruning it is best to prune fairly long 

 if the tree is vigorous, but do not allow the leaders to become too willowy. In 

 the young trees the limbs can be forced in the direction you wish them to go by 

 forcing forks apart or forcing leaders into or away from each other by inserting 

 light pieces of wood between them. By giving a little extra attention both summer 

 and winter dm-ing the first four years, this type of tree can be grown to very good 

 shape. 



I 



•*> y * 



Fig. 77. 

 Pear.s of the Winter jSTelis type. 



It is always advisable to plant different varieties of pears flowering at the same 

 time alongside each other, so that the blossoms can be cross fertilised. This 

 ensures a good setting of fruit. Pears must be well fed and cultivated to get the 

 best results, for they are greedy feeders and it x^ays to irrigate them, for by doing 

 so they will not only carry and mature heavy crops, but it enables them to matm-e 

 \v()od and spurs for the following season. If the trees become exhausted from want 

 ot attention they bear very irregular crops. 



The Apricot, 



The apricot should be pruned with a short main stem, 12 to 1.5 inches high, 

 and very sturdy, wide main and secondary arms. Owing to its brittle nature, 

 apricot wood is ver}' liable to split ; narrow forks should, therefore, be avoided 

 for that reason, and also because they are more liable than wide forks are to gum- 

 mino-. The main arms should be well spaced, and started as for other varieties. 



