196 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



If a branch is slender it will sooner or later 

 become strong, according as it is the medium 

 of communication between a large or small 

 amount of foliage on the shoots, whether that 

 amount is borne immediately by the branch or 

 on lateral branches and shoots originating on 

 it. If, on the contrary, a branch is too strong, 

 it may be made to grow less vigorously by the 

 suppression of most of the side branches. 



The main branches ought to diverge equally; 

 when they extend so as to be 15 inches apart, 

 each branch should be subdivided into two; 

 and when the branches resulting have extended 

 so as to be again at the above distance apart, 

 they should be again subdivided. In this way 

 the principal branches will be produced with 

 regularity, and there will be space for laying 

 in young wood for fruiting. 



Fig. 1002 —Standard Fan-trained Apricot, on South Wall, outside. 



When the Apricot arrives at a bearing state, 

 it produces its fruit on the shoots of the pre- 

 ceding summer's growth, and also on spurs on 

 wood that is two, three, or more years old. 

 The finest fruit is, however, produced on wood 

 one and two years old : therefore a proper 

 supply of such ought to exist in all parts of 

 the tree. Young shoots should be laid in be- 

 tween the principal branches, but rather thinly 

 than otherwise, for it is an error to crowd the 

 tree with more shoots than there is space for, 

 when on half the number of shoots much more 

 fruit would set than the tree could possibly 

 bring to perfection. Young shoots should 

 therefore be laid in at every 10 or 12 inches, 

 and ought to be shortened to about 1 foot in 

 length, a little longer if they are strong, and 

 shorter if weak. If they should not bear in 

 the following season, that is, when they are 



one year old, they may be allowed to remain 

 another year, when they will rarely fail if the 

 spring be favourable. 



The young shoot, after having been pruned 

 in autumn, should be nailed in the course of 

 the winter pretty close to the old branch, in 

 order to afford room for a succession shoot, 

 which should be encouraged in the following 

 summer. If the shoot first laid in has borne 

 fruit, and if at the autumn pruning the young 

 shoot is seen to be furnished with blossom- 

 buds, the one that has borne should then be 

 cut away; but if not, both ought to remain 

 another season. In the autumn the older of 

 the two should be cut out and the younger 

 trained in its place, and for this a succession 

 shoot ought to be encouraged in the following 

 summer. Thus there will be single shoots, 

 originating at about 10 or 12 inches apart, 



