TRAINING. 



377 



supporting a top which reaches the height of twenty, thirty, or forty feet, or 

 more. In order to attain this, the sap rushes, whilst the tree is young and 

 vigorous, towards the leading shoot ; and if lateral branches are occasionally 

 produced, the flow of sap is not strongly directed towards them compared to 

 that wliich is impelled towards the more upright part. At length, however, 

 a ramification does take place, in comparison with which the leading shoot 

 becomes less and less predominant, till it becomes ultimately lost amongst its 

 compeers. A tolerably equal distribution of sap then results, and 3j conical 

 or spherical top is formed bearing fruit, not generally in the concavity, where 

 it would be greatly excluded from light, but at the external surface, where 

 the fruit itself and the leaves immediately connected with the buds producing 

 it can be fully exposed to light, air, and dews. It was remarked that lateral 

 branches were occasionally produced on the stem in the progress of its ascent. 

 When the top is formed, these are placed at gTeat disadvantage, owing to 

 their being overshaded, and they are then apt to decay, the tree assuming 

 the character of a large elevated top supported on a strong naked stem. This 

 is the natural disposition of trees, and to this it is necessary to attend in 

 order that it may be counteracted where the natural form of the tree cannot 

 be admitted. It should be borne in mind that the disposition to form an 

 elevated naked stem is still strongly evinced in dwarf trees ; although sub- 

 divided, yet each branch possesses its share of the original disposition, and 

 its lower and horizontal shoots are left to become weak in comparison with 

 the upper and those that are vertical. 



811. A standard tree^ from its being least restrained from attaining its 

 natural habit, requires least management in regard to training, as has been 

 already explained. When trained in any dwarf form, attention is in the 

 first place required towards counteracting the disposition to form one large 

 elevated stem by stopping the leading shoot. In this and other processes in 

 pruning and trainmg, it is necessary to be aware of the nature of the buds 

 on different parts of the shoot, and the effect of cutting near or at a distance 

 from the base. Where a shoot is shortened, the remaining buds are stimu- 

 lated^ and those immediately below the section seldom fail to produce shoots, 

 even although they would have otherwise remained dormant. The lowest 

 buds on the base of a shoot do not generally become developed, unless the 

 shoot is cut or broken above them. They remain endowed with all their 

 innate vital power, although comparatively in a state of repose ; but should 

 the shoot on the base of which these buds are situated be destroyed or 

 amputated, very soon they are called into vigorous action, producing supple- 

 mentary shoots much stronger than could be obtained from any other buds 

 more remote from the base. Were these buds as prone to development as 

 others, a mass of shoots and foliage would be produced in the central parts, 

 where the foliage could not have a due share of light, an arrangement that 

 would prove bad. They must be looked upon as being placed in reserve 

 for furnishing wood shoots, whenever the pruner chooses to stimulate their 

 development by amputating the portion of shoot above them. 



812. From this view of the properties belonging to the lowest situated 

 buds, it is evident they are the most unlikely to become fruit -buds. These 

 are formed towards the extremities. In some cases they are terminal ; but 

 generally about two-thirds from the base is the situation where fruit-buds 

 are first formed, and in some kinds of fruit-trees are developed into blossom 

 the foUowii^ season, and in others the basis of a spur is established. This 



