10 THE MINIATTJEE EEUIT &AEDEN 



six or seven leaves (see fig. 3, a, a, a). From the point 

 of piacMng, a shoot will again grow, and should be left ' 

 untouched until September^ The first pinching forms 

 the basis of fruit buds, and if the horizontal branch has 

 a good leader it will take off all the superfluous sap, the 

 buds will only swell, and the following season they will 

 be fruit spurs. The upper shoots of the tree, say to about 

 two feet from its top, should be pinched a week before 

 the lower shoots ; this gives strength to those on the 

 lower part of the tree. 



Fig. 4 is a side branch in June, with its shoots not 

 yet pinched; about the middle of the month nip off 

 the terminal buds of the laterals when these have made 

 from seven to nine leaves, and, in September, stop the 

 leading shoot to one-third of its length. 



In spring the perpendicular leader of the preceding 

 year's growth will put forth numerous shoots, which 

 must be pinched iu June in the following manner : 

 those nearest the base leave six inches in length, 

 gradually decreasing upwards, leaving those next the 

 young leading shoots only two inches long. The leader 

 of these ready formed pyramids need not be shortened 

 in summer as directed for younger trees; it may be 

 suffered to grow till the horizontal leaders are shortened 

 in September, and then left six or eight inches in 

 length ; but if the trees are to be kept to six or seven 

 feet in height under root-pruning, this leading shoot 

 may be shortened to two inches, or even cut close 

 down to its base. For tall pyramids of ten, twelve, 



