CLOSE PRUNING BY ALTERNATE SHOOTS. 127 



form of tree flourishes when thus treated, for it is 

 a return to first principles. 



Fig. 18 represents the system I have been de- 

 scribing. This is the autumn appearance of the 

 two shoots springing from the central spur. In 

 this figure it is easy to distinguish how the four 

 leaves of the first summer-stopping have fared. In 

 either shoot only the point-bud has made a second 

 growth, which has been stopped to two leaves, and 

 a third growth, which has been stopped at one 

 more leaf. The junction-buds (where the point- 

 bud burst) appear full and healthy. One of them, 

 in the right shoot, even shows a disposition to be- 

 come a cluster spar. This reveals to us the secret 

 of the original theory. The small leaves at the 

 base of either shoot are not counted in the four. 

 This beautiful specimen was carefully drawn from 

 nature, and is a perfect illustration of the theory 

 advanced. 



Fig. 19 represents the winter pruning of these 

 shoots, a is the original spur, b is the right 

 shoot, which has been selected to bear (both shoots 

 are, however, perfect) mainly on account of the 

 presence of the good buds at the junction f. The 

 second growth, e, has been left (this is optional 

 here). The left shoot, c, is cut to the lowest group 

 of triple buds ; for the central bud of this group, 

 being a good wood-bud, will give us a strong new 



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