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KEPORT ON THE 



Proceeded, March 3rd, to the Jardin des Plantes, and saw 

 the arboretum, the plant-houses, Ecole botanique, and nurseries 

 for ornamental plants ; and afterwards the Economical and 

 Fruit-tree departments, which are exceedingly well managed 

 under the superintendence of M. L. P. Cappe. 



The pyramidal-trained Pear-trees are from 10 to 15 feet 

 high, or more, having a regularly tapering outline from the 

 base to the top, where they terminate in a single shoot. The 

 young plant is stopped according to its strength, and so as to 

 furnish side brandies. These are not in stages at uniform 

 distances along the stem ; on the contrary, almost every shoot 

 which breaks out from the stem is allowed to grow ; but the 

 laterals produced on these are pinched in summer, and even such 

 of the leading shoots as appear likely to become too strong for 

 the others are stopped. All the cultivators from whom I had 

 an opportunity of obtaining their opinion on the subject, ad- 

 mitted the advantages of summer pinching ; whilst some 

 regretted that circumstances prevented them from practising it 

 to the extent they could wish. It is, however, well followed up 

 by M. Cappe. He pinches all the young shoots, not required 

 to form branches, when in a very young state ; when they have 

 scarcely pushed a finger's length, they are shortened to about an 

 inch, or from that to an inch and a half. The portion left forms 

 the basis of one or more fruit-buds, bearing fruit in the following 

 season, or a spur on which blossom- buds are formed for bearing 

 in the second season. 



The advantages consequent on properly managing fruit-trees 

 with regard to summer pinching, are so important that attention 

 to the subject cannot be too strongly urged. On the whole 

 it occasions little or no loss of time ; for the confusion which 

 would otherwise accrue is prevented ; and this being the case, it 

 is only doing that in summer which, if neglected, would occasion 

 as much loss of time in winter. I am aware that many have 

 more time to attend to trees in winter than in summer ; but 

 let the advantages of summer pinching be experienced, and 

 doubtless, in most cases, due provision will be made for its per- 

 formance. By the operation, the shoots necessary to be retained 

 have the great advantage of more light and air than would be 

 the case if crowded by a multiplicity of laterals, retained till the 

 time of winter pruning, when they must obviously be cut off, 

 either so close as to leave no bud to push, or shortened to within 

 a few eyes of their bases. In the former case the branch is left 

 naked ; in the latter, when the tree is sufficiently vigorous, the 

 eyes left generally push other shoots, to be again cut back in 

 winter ; and thus crops of shoots are annually produced, instead 



