12 THE MINIATURE FETJIT GAEDEN 



must be attended to; those that are very vigorous 

 must not have their shoots pruned so closely as those 

 that are less so; indeed, almost every variety will 

 require some little modification in pruning, of which 

 experience is by far the best teacher. It will, I think, 

 suffice if I give the following directions for shortening 

 the leaders of the side shoots, and the perpendicular 

 leaders : — AH those that are very robust, such as 

 Beurre d'Amanlis, Conseiller de la Cour, BeurrS Diel, 

 &c., shorten to eight or ten inches, according to the 

 vigour of the individual tree ; those of medium vigour, 

 such as Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, and 

 BeurrS d'Aremberg, to six inches ; those th^t are deli- 

 cate and slender in the growth, like Winter Nelis, to 

 four inches ; but I must repeat that regard must be 

 had to the vigour of the tree. If the soil be rich, the 

 trees vigorous and not root-pruned, the shoots may be 

 left the maximum length ; if, on the contrary, they be 

 root-pruned, and not inclined to vigorous growth, they 

 must be pruned more closely. As a modification of 

 pinching which sometimes induces excessive growth in 

 non-fruiting trees, and in humid climates, I have found 

 that stripping the leaves from the shoots to be operated 

 upon has the same efiect as pinching, without disturb- 

 ing the flow of the sap. 



If pyramidal fruit trees, either of pears, apples, 

 plums, or cherries, are biennially removed, or even 

 thoroughly root-pruned without actually removing 

 them, summer pinching becomes the most simple of 



