THE PBACTICE OF PRUNING. 



379 



prolongation of the branch. It frequently happens in France, and the 



liability will be still more in the oUmate of England, that after a shoot is 



pinched back, the newly-formed buds on the part left 



will push a secondary shoot in the same season. 



When this is the case with those under the care of _ 



M. Cappe, he also pinches these secondary shoots to ' 



an inch or an inch and a half from where they origi- / / /^ 



nate. They rarely push again ; but if they do, their 



growths are again reduced as before. " 1 



The diJiircE-TEEB. 



The accompanying out shows that in the preceding 

 year a blossom-bud, similar to those maiked a, a, and 

 sessile like them, was situated at 1. In the course of 

 last season that bud pushed a sort of shoot, furnished 

 with leaves, and bearing at its extremity a single 

 blossom, producing one fruit, which at its maturity 

 had either been pulled or had dropped off, leaving a 

 scar at e. The portion be- 

 tween 1 and c may be termed 

 a branch, as it was furnished 

 with leaves, and buds appear 

 that were formed in the axils 

 of those leaves ; but still it is 

 an imperfect branch, inas- 

 much as it has no temiinal 

 bud for its prolongation, the 

 place of such bud having been 

 occupied by the fruit. As 

 this portion is only furnished 

 with weak buds, it is not 

 necessary to be retained, and should be cut off at 1 . 



If the tree is planted in rich, rather moist soU, 

 it wiU send up a long but flexible shoot; and if 

 from this all laterals are pruned closely off, with 

 the view of making a clean stem, the latter will 

 be rendered much Weaker than it would be if left 

 to Nature. The plant, therefore, must be cut 

 back to within eighteen inches' of the ground, 

 more or less according to its strength. Generally 

 three buds next the section will push in the fol- 

 lowing season ; select the shoot best adapted for 

 continuing the stem, and train it as upright as 

 possible. Shorten this at the winter pruning, and spur in the laterals, 



Pig. LXXII.-Slioot of the 

 Quinc&-tree. 



a, a, Woasom-buds ; h, b, wood- 

 puds; c, the place where fruit 

 was attached last season. 



In 



