80 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



point is checked and turned to tlie growing points that 

 have not been pinched. 



In training, lay in the strong shoots on the trellis early 

 and leave the feehle parts loose as long as possible. Laying 

 in the strong shoots obstructs in them the circulation and 

 favors the weak parts which are at liberty. Giving also the 

 feeble parts the benefit of the light in training, and confining 

 the strong parts more in the shade, restores a balance. 



2. The sap acts with greater force and produces more 

 vigorous groicth on a branch short pruned than on one 

 long pruned. The whole sap of the branch acting on 

 / two buds must produce greater development of wood 

 ' on them than if divided among fifteen or twenty. Hence, • 

 to produce wood branches, we prune short, or if fruit 

 branches we prune long, because slender and feeble shoots 

 are more disposed to fruit. Hence, also trees that are en- 

 feebled by over-bearing should for a year or two be pruned 

 short. 



The sap tending always to the extremities of the shoots 

 causes the terminal hud to push with greater vigor than 

 the laterals. — When we wish a prolongation of a stem, 

 we should prune to a vigorous wood bud, and leave 

 no production that can interfere with the action of the 

 sap on it. 



4. The more the sap is obstructed in its circulation, the 

 more likely it will be to produce fruit buds. Sap circu- 

 lating slowly is subjected to a more complete elaboration 

 in the tissues of the tree, and becomes better adapted to 

 form fruit buds. If we wish a branch to bear fruit, we 

 can obstruct the circulation of the sap by bending or 

 making incisions around the branch, or if wished to change 

 a fruit into a wood-branch, raise it into a vertical position 

 and prune it to two or three buds on which we concentrate 

 the action of the sap and induce them to grow vigorously.. 



