PYEAMIDAIi PEAK TEEES ON THE atTINCE STOCK 5 



plum as a pyramidal tree, scarcely any ground will be 

 Beaded, and more abundant crops and finer fruit will 

 be obtained. 



THE YOUNG PYRAMID 



If a young gardener intends to plant, and wishes to 

 train up his trees so that they will become quite perfect 

 in shape, he should select plants one year old from the 

 bud or graft, with single upright stems ; these will, of 

 course, have good buds down to the junction of the 

 graft with the stock. The first spring a tree of this 

 description should be headed down, so as to leave the 

 stem about eighteen inches long. If the soil be rich, 

 from five to six and seven shoots will be produced ; one 

 of these must be made the leader, and, if not inclined to 

 be quite perpendicular, it must be fastened to a stake. 

 As soon, in summer, as the leading shoot is ten inches 

 long, its end must be pinched off; and if it pushes forth 

 two or more shoots, pinch off all but one to three leaves, 

 leaving the topmost for a leader. The side shoots wiU, 

 in most cases, assume a regular shape; if not, they may 

 be this first season tied to slight stakes, to make them 

 grow in the proper direction. This is best done by 

 bringing down and fastening the end of each shoot to 

 a slight stake, so that an open pyramid may be formed 

 — for if it is too close and cypress-like, enough air is 

 not admitted to the fruit. They may remain unpruned 



