I20 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



furnished from base to summit. It is possible to furnish a wall more quickly 



by stopping the main stem in summer 

 when it is a foot long, thereby forcing 

 new growths immediately below. From 

 these growths one is selected to form 

 the main stem, and one on each side 

 to be trained horizontally as before. I 

 do not recommend this plan, however, 

 as the shoots obtained from green and 

 soft wood will never prove so strong 

 and serviceable afterwards as those 

 which have had the whole summer 

 wherein to grow and mature. More- 

 over, it often happens that from the 

 summer stopping only one or perhaps 

 two shoots will result, thus defeating 

 the object in view. 



In the case of the fan-trained tree, 

 the framework will already have been 

 formed before it comes into the grower's 

 hands (supposing he plants a tree three 

 years old), and all he will have to do 

 is to add to its main branches year by 

 year until the tree has filled its allotted 

 space. 



Distance Apart to Plant. — This 

 must be determined by the height of 

 the wall. Where the walls are 12 feet 

 high, 20 feet apart will be the proper 

 distance, with tall standard " rider " 

 trees between, in order to cover the 

 walls in the shortest possible time with 

 fruitful trees. On walls of lower height 

 the trees should be planted 15 to 25 feet 

 apart. 



Spring and Summer Pruning. — 

 Under this heading is included thin- 

 ning out the blossom buds when too 

 numerous, disbudding, stopping, re- 

 moving lateral and sublateral growths. 

 Where summer pruning is properly 

 carried out, winter pruning becomes 

 almost unnecessary. The pear as a 

 rule, like most other fruit trees, produces 

 more young shoots and blossoms on its branches in spring than can be properly 

 developed, and it is to release it of this unnecessary burden and help it to 



Pyramidal Tree, in Third Season's Growth 



{w) Point of cutting back maiden tree i foot from 

 ground ; (x) point of second pruning, four side 

 branches and a leader being reserved the year 

 following pruning ; {y) point of stopping, as soon 

 as 12 inches length attained ; (z) growth from 

 uppermost bud again pinched, if making more 

 than three or four joints ; (a) terminal growth 

 resulting from second pinching, say early in 

 August ; (}) side growths pinched after first stop- 

 ping of leader, and stopped at third or fourth leaf 

 if making more growth. This pinching enables 

 the worker to dispense with winter shortening of 

 the leader. The side branches are also pinched 

 at 6 to S inches when necessary to preserve the 

 symmetry of the tree (see side branch page 

 121), the first tier of branches is shown forked, 

 with spurs on the two-year-old wood, so that 

 fruit may be had in the fourth year. 



