80 FRUIT TREES. 



reduce them very gradually ; they must be cut succes- 

 sively, first at B, the year following at C, and so on. 

 If cut immediately at D, the action of the sap being 

 too much restrained, the fruit-spurs will develop vigor- 

 ous shoots and become transformed into wood-branches. 



Fig. 76.— Method of Pruning an Old Fruit-Spur. 



Such are the operations required to develop the fruit- 

 bearing functions of pépin fruits, and to maintain 

 them in a healthful and fruit-bearing condition. We 

 have shown that their fertility is the result of suc- 

 cessive mutilations of the wood of the lateral branches, 

 by which their vigour has been restrained and dimi- 

 nished. It must not, however, be lost sight of, that this 

 object has also been powerfully promoted by allowing 

 the annual extensions of the lateral branches to grow 

 to a greater length, thus opening a large outlet for the 

 sap, which thus acts with less intensity upon each of 

 the separate shoots. The pruning, almost always too 

 short, that is applied to these extensions, has the con- 

 trary effect, giving rise to shoots of such extreme 



