60 



THE GARDEXER. 



branches, that being the side from 'svhich they are ob- 

 tained with the greatest faciUty, owing to tlie upward 

 tendency of the sap. As these shoots are being pro- 

 longed during the summer, they should be trained so 

 that their foKage may have the fullest exposure to light ; 

 but although the foliage of one shoot ought not to 

 over shade that of others, yet the naked branches are 

 benefited by the shade of leaves, for old bark exposed 

 to the direct rays of the sun is apt to be scorched. 



The shoots produced and trained during the sum- 

 mer for successional bearing ones, must be shortened 

 considerably at the ensuing winter's pruning, and care 

 must be taken not to cut above a node where there is 

 only a blossom-bud or buds, but to one that is seen to 

 have a wood-bud, that is, such as a shoot will proceed 

 from. . In the following spring, the blossom-buds are 

 unfolded, and soon after the wood-buds begin to push 

 the rudiments of shoots, one of which, next the base 

 of each fruit-bearing shoot^ must be preserved and en- 

 couraged with special care, in order to supply the place 

 of those that are bearing fruit. The fruit-bearing 

 shoots being useless for such purpose a second time, 

 must therefore be cut away at the following winter 

 pruning, w^hen the young shoot, retained during the 

 summer, is shortened like its predecessor, and trained 

 for the purpose of bearing fruit and producing a suc- 

 cessor, which likewise becomes subject to the same 

 routine treatment. 



The preceding directions are to be followed in order 

 to the essential pruning for the development and main- 

 tenance of the form of the tree ; but as a great number 

 of superfluous shoots will be produced, the mode of 

 their removal requires to be noticed. The operation 

 is termed disbudding, and it commences as soon as 

 the young shoots can be laid hold of, but should be 

 completed in a gradual manner. A portion of such 

 front-shoots as have no fruit at their bases are first re- 



