LONG PRUNING. 



85 



as destined to bear a moderate crop of fruit in the 

 fourth season. We come thus to consider the 

 branches and shoots as they appear at the third 

 season. 



The two shoots during this summer will gra- 

 dually assume the appearance indicated in fig. 11. 

 They are there named respectively a and b, as 

 being the two original shoots proceeding from the 

 spur e. If we keep to this nomenclature it will 

 avoid confusion. No doubt the term " spur" is 

 the most appropriate here, and has been received 

 as such before by reviewers of " Cordon training." 

 Spur is the correct rendering of the synonymous 

 continental word, and it certainly is produced by 

 manipulation. Both shoots will be allowed to 

 extend to 15 inches, and be stopped back to about 

 12 inches. At Montreuil about 14 inches is the 

 general rule. 



Many primers abjure summer-stopping alto- 

 gether, which is a great error, and the cause of 

 overgrowth and weakness in the tree. The winter 

 shortening is immense and needless, because it is 

 well known that the buds of the lower portion of 

 each shoot can be readily distinguished in June, 

 and a good guess then made as to their quality. 

 If the lower buds be then prominent, and well 

 established, what need can there be for any super- 

 fluous length of shoot beyond them ? But, let us 



