THE PALMETTE VERRIEE. 



375 



lowermost branches, the other a little above them and in 

 front to continue the erect axis. Of course all the eyes, 

 except those that are to send forth the three first shoots, 

 must be suppressed in spring. Now, although the tree in 

 the plate looks so very exact and regular in its lines, and 

 the branches appear as if they had been " bent in the way 

 they should go" at a very early stage, it is not so ; they are 

 at first allowed to grow almost erect, and are afterwards 

 gradually lowered to the horizontal position. During the 

 first year of the young tree possessing three shoots, care 

 must be taken (as at all times) to secure a perfect equilibrium 

 between them. If one grows stronger than the others, it 

 must be loosened from its position on the wall and lowered. 



Fig. 172. 



Fig. 173. 



Fig. 174. 



Second pruning. Third pruning. Fourth pruning 



The Palmette Verrier. 



This will divert the sap so as to strengthen the rest. 

 Nothing is more easily conducted than the sap when we pay 

 a little attention to it ; if not, it soon rushes towards the 

 higher points, and spoils the symmetry of the tree. 



We then, at the second pruning, have to cut them at B, 

 and also cut off about a third of the length of the side 

 shoots, as at A A, Fig. 172. If one side branch happens 

 to be stronger than the other, cut the stronger one some- 

 what shorter. In cutting and pruning wall trees the cut 

 should be made above a front bud, so that the wound made 

 by the knife may be turned towards the wall, and away 

 from the eye, from which, of course, it soon will be effec- 

 tually hidden by this front bud pushing into a shoot, and 



