PEARS. 



1x5 



branches must not be allowed to cross each 

 other, and shoots that are taking a wrong 

 direction ought to be cut out. When the tree 

 arrives at a bearing state, branches loaded 

 with fruit will be more or less weighed down; 

 and when a branch is bent during any con- 

 siderable portion of the growing season, by 

 fruit or any other weight, it retains nearly 

 that form after the weight has been removed. 

 Hence, in full-grown trees, the extremities of 

 the branches are generally turned downwards, 

 a direction unfavourable for the prolongation 

 of shoots, but conducive to the formation of 

 fruit-spurs. In old standard trees, it will be 

 observed that the fruit is chiefly produced at 

 and near the extremities, and there of course 

 it is best situated for light and air. Not un- 

 frequently, however, when the tree is in this 

 condition, vigorous upright shoots push from 

 strong branches in the interior of the head 

 of the tree. These are injurious, for they 

 appropriate the sap that would otherwise con- 

 tribute to the nourishment of the fruit-spurs 

 at the extremities. The sap will rush into 

 these vigorous shoots as it would into suckers, 

 and the more vigorous they become the weaker 

 are those situated in the older parts. All up- 

 right shoots in the centre of the tree should there- 

 fore be cut off, or treated so as to form a spur. 



Fig. 914 represents a small branch, which 

 has been pruned at b above the two spurs e 

 and/; of the two ter- 

 minal shoots c and a, 

 c having become too 

 strong is stopped at d, 

 a is left in order to 

 give vent to the sap 

 which would other- 

 wise have flowed back 

 on the spurs e and /, 

 and caused them to be 

 abortive. When dan- 

 ger of this is over the 

 branch is cut off at g. 



Instead of forming 

 a head from six 

 equally diverging 

 branches, some pre- 

 fer the pyramidal 

 form, which certain 



Varieties naturally Fig. 914-Pinching and Spur-pruning. 



assume. The upright 



shoot of the young stem should, in that case, 

 be stopped at the proper height; but the shoots 

 which result ought not to be made to diverge 

 equally, but one should be trained as upright 



as possible; and, subsequently, a central perpen- 

 dicular shoot ought to be encouraged, so that 

 the head of the tree may consist of a central 



stem with branches 

 proceeding from it. 

 These branches 



should be kept on 

 an equality, so that 

 the top may be 

 equally balanced. 



Pyramid Training. 

 — As regards the 

 form (fig. 915), the 

 main object to be 

 kept in view is a 

 perpendicular stem, 

 with every branch 

 proceeding from it 

 shorter in a horizon- 

 tal direction than 

 the one below it. 



In proceeding to 

 details, it will be 

 best to commence 

 with a maiden tree, 

 which we shall sup- 

 pose to be planted 

 in November, either 

 in the nursery or 

 where it is to re- 

 main. The stem 

 should be topped a little, but not cut so far 

 back as to make the buds start near the 

 ground. Next autumn let the stem be cut 

 back near to the place where it was budded 

 or grafted. If the tree has been well planted, 

 and has made a fair quantity of leaves and 

 roots in the course of the summer, a strong 

 shoot will start from the base, which should 

 be trained as upright as possible. In November 

 cut it back to about 1 foot from the ground, 

 and below this several shoots will start: the 

 uppermost should be trained in a perpendicular 

 direction for a continuation of the central stem, 

 whilst the others will form the lower tier of 

 branches. These may be allowed to grow 

 without restraint till September, and then 

 they ought to be all bent to nearly a hori- 

 zontal position. But some may be weak and 

 others strong: the latter must be most de- 

 pressed, whilst the former should be allowed 

 to retain their natural position till they acquire 

 sufficient strength to be bent down in the 

 following summer; but if likely to interfere 

 with the young shoots above them, they must 

 be trained so as to keep clear of these. 



Fig. 915.— Pyramid Training. 



