THE APRICOT 



25 



from that advised for the peach, because a larger number of main branches must 

 be introduced ; indeed, the tree will be wholly composed of main branches, 

 and instead of laying in small shoots which issue from the latter, as advised 

 in the case of the peach, they must be shortened back to three buds to form 

 fruit-bearing spurs along the whole of the main branches. The spurs should 

 be formed on the upper side of the branch, and should be from 4 to 6 inches 

 apart. These will be permanent, and as time goes on the number of shoots 

 on a spur will be added to by each year's growth, and to prevent their 

 becoming too numerous, disbudding will have to be resorted to in spring. 

 As a rule, only two or three growths on a spur should be allowed. In time 

 the spurs will become large and ungainly, extending far from the branch, 

 and it will be necessary to cut them off altogether. Younger growths will 



Portion of Branch with Char- 

 acteristic Growths 



{a) Two-year-old side branch with continuation growth and spurs 

 bearing fruit ; {6) two-year-old spur in fruit ; (c) fruits pro- 

 duced on the preceding year's wood with growths forming 

 either short stubby shoots, or spurs for following season's bearing; («)' 

 spur forming a cluster of blossom buds with a wood bud at apex ; (/) side 

 shoot that may be either pinched or trained in to fill vacant space ; {g) continuation of 

 branch. 



replace them, and the appearance of the tree will in time by this process be much 

 improved. This work must be carried out with caution, and only a few of the 

 old spurs should be cut away at a time, otherwise much of the crop will be 

 sacrificed for a year or two. Any vacant spaces between the branches can be 

 filled by nailing or tying in the previous year's shoots in their entirety. 



Thinning the Fruits. — If fine well-developed fruits for dessert are desired, 

 thinning must be done freely, for the apricot, as a rule, sets its fruits 

 abundantly ; one fruit to each spur will be sufficient, but if the intention is 

 to grow apricots for preserving, then three may be left for a full crop. A 

 healthy apricot tree is as capable of bearing a heavy crop of fruit without 

 injury as any fruit tree. The thinning should be carried out not all at once, 

 but on two if not three occasions : the first, soon after the fruits are set, when 

 they are the size of small peas, and then only the smallest should be picked ; the 

 second, when the fruits have reached the size of hazel nuts (they are then useful 



