376 THE PRACTICE 0FJ>EUN1NG. 



The Peae-tebe. 



This, like the Apple-tree, bears its fruit on wood more than one year old, 

 but chiefly on spurs, and very rarely on two-year branches. The object of 

 the pruner is to secure spurs by stopping branches and arresting luxuriance, 

 at the same time maintaining the plant in perfect health. 



There is no difficulty in obtaining the requisite number of branches, at 

 proper distances, by observing the following directions : — Plant a maiden 

 tree in autumn ; allow it to establish itseK for one year, and then head it 

 back to a good eye, a few buds from its base. Let one shoot grow as strong 

 and upright as possible during the summer, and head it back to within 

 thirteen inches of the ground in autumn, cutting very close to a bud, in 

 order that the shoot springing from it may form little or no bending ; train 

 it upright, whilst three or four shoots, from buds immediately below it, 

 should be more or less inclined to a horizontal direction, according to their 

 strength ; the strongest should be most depressed. These three or four con- 

 stitute the commencement of the first or lower tier. For the next tier, head 

 back the upright leader to within eighteen inches of its base, if the soil is 

 rich ; if not, to fifteen inches ; and from the shoots produced in the following 

 season from buds, just under the cut, train a shoot for a leader, and three or 

 four somewhat horizontally, as before, for a second tier. Precisely in this 

 manner tier after tier must be started, till the tree attain its assigned height. 

 All this can be effected in accordance with the natural disposition of the tree 

 to form an upright stem, and with the tendency of the sap to develope the 

 uppermost buds of a shortened shoot. But it is not to be done without 

 serious difficulties. 



The shoots started for horizontal branches will rarely take that direction ; 

 on the contrary, they will generally diverge at an angle of 45°. This may, 

 and should be overcome by tying down. The disparity of vigour in the 

 upper, as compared with the lower branches, is a more serious affair. If 

 allowed, the former will soon overgrow the latter, and the pyramid will 

 ultimately become inverted. It is, therefore, evident that, in order to have 

 well- conditioned pyramid Pear-trees, means must be adopted to maintain 

 ^-igour in the lower tiers of brandies, and repress over-luxuriance in 

 the upper. 



With the view of invigorating the lower, permit the shoots to grow 

 without restraint till September, and then bend them towards a horizontal 

 position. They will thus be much stronger than if they had been made to 

 foUow a horizontal direction from the beginning. Shorten them a little at 

 the winter pruning, in order to obtsiin a stronger leading shoot than would 

 otherwise be produced. Cut to a side bud ; one on the upper side would 

 produce a stronger shoot, but the latter could not be brought down without 

 occasioning an unsightiy bend. Besides a leader, some other shoots wiU 

 probably be produced ; let them grow, for their foliage will assist in forming 

 channels, or layers of wood containing channels, for the transmission of sap 



