THE APPLE. 



63 



above recommended, any badly -placed shoot, 

 and checking any of the leaders that are likely 

 to become too strong. 



Dwarf Pyramids and Bushes. — In order to 

 have a well-formed pyramid tree, it is best to 

 begin with a maiden and merely top it. Allow 

 it to establish itself for a year, then cut it down 

 to about 1 foot from the ground. Train upright 

 a shoot from the uppermost bud, and outwards 

 the shoots that may push below. After the 



Fig. 857.— Three-year-old dwarf Apple, 

 before pruning. 



growth, indeed it is occasionally difficult to keep 

 such trees sufficiently furnished with fresh 

 shoots. 



Some varieties may be both pruned and 

 trained in summer by removing the young 

 shoots where they are crowding each other, 

 for if sun and air are not freely admitted to 

 the centre of the trees, fruit-buds will be 

 formed sparingly or not at all. The shoots 

 allowed to remain should be shortened, 6 inches 

 of the young wood to remain afterwards. When 

 the trees have grown to the required size, and 

 are in full bearing, the young wood should be 

 closely cut in. The last thinning of the shoots, 

 and final stopping, should take place about the 

 end of August. The fruit-buds will form, and 

 both the young wood and fruit will have a 



leaves have fallen, shorten the upright leading 

 shoots to 15 inches above where it was cut in 

 the preceding year. Proceed thus every year 

 till the tree attains the desired height. This 

 may be from 6 feet to 12 feet, according to 

 the distance from other plants or trees that 

 would be injured by shade. 



In the formation of a dwarf bush Apple-tree, 

 the points to be borne in mind are practically 

 the same as in the preceding, but a more open 

 character is aimed at, and the main 

 central stem is not so essential as it 

 is to the pyramidal form. The 

 branches should be disposed as 

 evenly as possible, and induced to 

 grow outwards by pruning to a bud 

 pointing to the circumference of the 

 tree's branches. Some varieties on 

 the dwarfing stocks require very 

 little pruning after the first year or 

 two, as they make but moderate 



Fig. 858.— The same tree, after pruning either 

 for a pyramid or a bush. 



chance to ripen satisfactorily. If the pruning 

 is well managed, any other training is seldom 

 necessary. 



Dwarf bowl-shaped Trees. — If the tree has 

 made one season's growth from the graft or 

 bud, it may be planted in autumn; the extremi- 

 ties of the shoots must be shortened a little, and 

 it should be allowed to grow at full freedom 

 till next autumn, when it must be cut down to 

 within 9 inches of the ground. The tree, having 

 been a year established, will now be able to 

 produce vigorous shoots, three of which should 

 be selected, as in forming the head of a standard. 

 During the summer, care should be taken that 

 the three shoots make equal growths. They 

 must be cut back at the winter pruning to 

 between 6 and 9 inches in length, and thus, as 



