FRUIT CULTURE. 



541 



moot question amongst experts in Apple culture. Some 

 advise that no pruning be done the first season, except, 

 perhaps, that the extreme tip of each shoot should be taken 

 off. The opinion of the non- pruning section is that two checks 

 to a tree should not lie given at once ; the tree having been 

 replanted, pruning at the same time would be an additional 

 check. Pruning should be deferred until the following 

 season, until the trees have had a season's growth to recuperate 

 themselves somewhat. ( )ther advice and practice is quite the 

 opposite, for two strong reasons. In the first place, a full 

 season's growth is lost by deferring the pruning. This is a 

 serious matter in these go-ahead days. If the shoots are cut 

 back to within 6in. or so of their base the growth will be 

 certain the first year, and it will be stronger, by limiting the 

 weakened energy of t he plant to the few eyes retained after 

 pruning. In many cases shoots that are not pruned pretty 

 close fail to push their base eyes into growth, as the sap 

 naturally rushes to the extreme point of the shoots. Any 

 base eyes remaining dormant tend to make an ill-trained 

 tree by leaving a 

 gap. The main 

 object a planter 

 has in view the 

 first season is to 

 encourage growth 

 for the production 

 of the future fruit 

 crop. The larger 

 the area the 

 heavier the crop. 

 T he s u m m e r 

 treatment of the 

 trees makes all 

 the difference to 



their future wel- 

 fare; if this be 



well carried out 



greater success 



must foil o w . 



Many persons in 



their eagerness to 



gather a crop 



allow the trees to 



form frail the first 



year of planting, 



which ..they Ire- 



quently do This 



is regarded I y 



some as fatal to 



a free growth, 



except an odd 



fruit or two to 



prove the variety. 



It is a good plan 



to remove all 



blossom buds 



directly they are 



large enough to handle, thus concentrating the whole energy 

 of the plant into growth only. Should the weather 

 be hot and dry for any length of time, a thorough soaking 

 of the soil will be an immense advantage. During the month 

 of May the mulching should be removed for a few hours during 

 the day to admit the sun, for the purpose of warming the 

 soil and roots. Any surplus shoots made during the summer 

 ' should be shortened hack to within 4m. of the base. 



The following year the trees will come under the ordinary 

 treatment afforded established specimens. The winter 

 pruning is perhaps the most important point to study in 

 the cultivation of the trees. Some neglect this phase 

 entirely, allowing the trees to grow away at will. Others 

 prune their trees much too hard for a number of years, 

 especially if the shoots made are very strong. If this latter 

 he the case, the first crop is certain to be a thin one. Such 

 ( lose pruning of the shoots aggravates the evil, as greater 

 energy to make stronger growth is thus afforded, by limiting 

 the number of shoots the growth has to sustain. To draw a 

 simile: A hedge of Quick, Holly, or Laurel having become 

 thin and bare at the base, advice is given to cut the whole 



down to within a few inches of the soil. The result is 

 increased vigour in the new growth, which eventually, by 

 careful management, grows into a perfect hedge once more. 

 Trees with shoots 3ft. long, instead of being cut back to 

 within 6in. of the base, should have 2ft. of the growth of 

 the leading shoots retained. Where space is no object this 

 plan answers capitally. The excessive growing energy of 

 tlie tree is gradually exhausted by this retention of more 

 growth, until a lull fruit crop is obtained from these hitherto 

 bare shoots. The salient point to observe in pruning the 

 trees is to afford abundant space for all inside branches, so 

 that maturity of growth is an easy matter, as an excess of 

 growth does not prohibit the admission of air, light, and 

 wind to the innermost parts of the tree. One of the 

 greatest mistakes made is in overcrowding the branches. 

 Trees planted two years will need special care in pruning to 

 preserve their shape and give a crop. The leading shoots 

 should be left from I ft. to 1 5111. long, and weaker ones 

 cut to within ojn., which will give increased vigour. The 



lul lire shape of 

 the tree has an 

 important bearing 



HH^k upon the length 



of shoots retained. 



The end of 

 September or 

 October is a good 

 time to prune 

 established trees, 

 and there seems 

 to be no reason 

 why we should 

 wait until the 

 leaves have fallen. 

 With the foliage 

 on the trees, the 

 distance from one 

 shoot to another 

 can better be 

 gauged. Any 

 surplus shoots 

 should be cut back 

 to within a single 

 eye of the base. 

 From here fruit 

 spurs will eventu- 

 ally form. Prun- 

 ing should not be 

 done in frosty 

 weather, as some 

 inj ury might 

 accrue by the 

 practice ; newly- 

 made incisions 

 might produce 

 canker. If prun- 

 ing is done early 

 the proper healing of the cut 



A DISH OF DUCHESS OF OLDENBURG!! APPLES. 



for 



ample time is allowed 

 parts. 



Summer pruning of all fruit trees is a good practice. If 

 there are surplus shoots, why should they be retained 

 until November and then cut away? Why not relieve 

 the trees in July of surplus growth, and thus admit 

 air, sun, and wind to assist maturation, without which 

 no crop is assured. Cut all shoots back that are 

 unnecessary for the proper shaping of the trees to within 

 4-in. If cut lower the chances are that the eye nearest the 

 apex will push into growth and thus spoil next season's 

 progress for a time. The leading shoots must not be cut, 

 but allowed to grow away uninterruptedly until autumn, 

 when they will be winter pruned. 



Sometimes established trees will produce a quantity of 

 wood — long thick shoots — and no fruit for years. Such 

 trees cannot be brought into a bearing condition by closely 

 pruning the branches. If space for the tree to expand in 

 width and height is available, allow the leading shoots to 

 remain for a length of from l8in. to 2ft., cutting away all 

 shoots that are not required for fnrni c hing the tree, Such 



