FRUIT CULTURE IN FRANCE 



335 



and air more regularly. It ought not to be done all at once upon the same 

 tree ; it should be commenced upon the stronger branches and higher parts. 

 Old, weak, and languishing trees should first be summer pruned, and afterwards 

 those that are young and vigorous. 



Pinching consists of stopping in their development the shoots which have 

 surpassed the length assigned to them, in order to assure a good formation of 

 buds at their bases. To pinch a shoot is to weaken it, therefore to secure 

 balance one must begin with the strongest. How long the shoot ought to be 

 when stopped depends upon the sort of tree and the variety. Shoots of plum 

 and apricot trees are left longer than those of apple trees, and Bergamotte, 

 Crassane, Beurr^ Diel, &c., pears are left longer than Louise Bonne, Winter 



First or Maiden Growth 

 FROM Graft 



Pyramid Pear Tree, Two Years 

 Old 



Doyenn6, &c. The leading shoots of the principal branches are pinched late 

 and but little. The practice of turning the extremity of a shoot back towards 

 its base instead of pinching it is practised with new or rare varieties in order to 

 increase the surface production. 



Annular Incision. — This operation is practised especially upon the vine, 

 below the bunches and before they flower. As a result the berries become 

 larger and ripen sooner. 



Thinning the Fruits. — Twenty individual fruits — pears, apples, or 

 peaches — per square metre of tree are reckoned a good average. The thinning 

 must be done early — as soon as the flowers have fallen, and again a little later. 

 It has been remarked that in a bunch of pears the central fruits hold the better, 

 while the reverse is the case with apples. 



