THE PRACTICE OF PRUNING. 



889 



formed, is to prevent in time any shoots from crossing others, and thinning 

 suoh as appear likely to cause too much obstruction to light. 



In forming a trained tree, let the maiden plant be headed back, when 

 planted in autumn, to within a foot of the ground. In the ensuing summer 

 train a shoot on each side, and the one from the uppermost bud upright. 

 Now this upright one will naturally grow much stronger than the others, 

 and the consequence will be that when all three are headed back at next 

 winter pruning the buds on the base of the strongest shoot, that is the 

 central one, will produce much stronger shoots 

 than those on the lower side shoots, which are 

 destined to furnish ultimately the lower part of 

 the wall. It is therefore desirable that the 

 vigour of the central shoot should not, in any 

 degree, exceed that of the side ones ; and in 

 order that it may not do so, recourse must be 

 had to the means of checking its luxuriance in 

 summer. These are, pinching oflf its top before 

 midsummer, inclining it from the perpendicu- 

 lar ; and if these are not fuUy effectual, the 

 leaves on its upper part may be clipped across 

 to the extent of half their length. 



At the winter pruning, shorten the three 

 shoots to within nine inches of their bases. 

 Train two from each of the side ones, and three 

 from the central one. Proceed thus till a suffi- 

 fcient number of branches are originated, always 

 taking care to check in time any that are likely 

 to become over-luxuriant as compared with 

 others. If the wood is well matured, the ter- 

 minal shoots need not be shortened where addi- 

 tional branches are not required. When the 

 trees come first into bearing, the spurs require 

 only a little thinning; but as they elongate 

 and extend too far from the wall, they must be 

 shortened back to buds near their bases. 



The Chbekt-teei;. 



The Cherry-tree bears its fruit chiefly on 

 spurs formed on wood of two, three, or more 

 years old; and frequently fruit-buds cluster 



round the base of the last year's shoot. In j-„„„. 



the Morello the fruit is chiefly borne on i. part of a shoot ono year old. 



t>ip vnllTlD- wnnrl ?' ^°°^ ^^° y^^rs old. 



tne young WOOQ. S, wood tliree yeara old. 



Grown as a standard, the terminal shoots h',b'b'i'b'wSid-hnda°^^°'^'^^'^' 



Fig. LXXIX.— Shoot of 

 Cherry-tree. 



