278 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
first bud below the break would develop into an unmistakable 
fruit bud. 
Mr. CoLViLE Beowne (Hextable) said lie should Hke to 
corroborate the remarks of the last speaker. As one who had a 
good deal to do with fruit -pruning, he found the greatest benefit 
to be derived in private gardens — he was not quite sure whether 
it would answer in large establishments — by breaking off the 
breast shoots and the superfluous shoots. It was noticeable that 
below the break or below the twist they certainly did get an 
unmistakable fruit bud. It was very curious, and he thought it 
might be advantageous to bear it in mind with respect to rank 
growers like the Pitmaston Duchess. If they had some good 
system of bending or twisting with rapid growers, they would 
obtain very much better results in the long run and have less 
work for the knife. He found there was more harm done by the 
pruning-knife than from any other cause. Magnificent trees 
were sent out from the nurseries and spoilt in four or five years. 
He thought, however, nurserymen were greatly to blame, because 
they did not give all the information they ought to. They had 
to thank Mr. Pearson for giving them so much valuable informa- 
tion that day. 
Mr. Fletcher (gardener to Mr. Thompson, of Maidenhead) 
bore testimony to the value of the paper, and said those who had 
lately taken up the work of fruit culture needed such light and 
guidance. He was very pleased to hear Mr. Pearson speak 
about newly planted trees, and he thought it might be taken for 
granted that as a rule newly planted trees should be pruned. 
He knew there had been a controversy on the subject, but he was 
not certain which side won. They should be guided by common 
sense a great deal, and by circumstances. In fact, a great deal 
should bo left to individual judgment. 
Mr. Rivers said he could fully bear out what had been said 
about twisting the branches. Constant pinching was not a 
success, and with cordon trees one pinching was enougli, and it 
should be done in June. He was once in a garden at Rouen 
belonging to a professor. The trees were beautifully arranged, 
but there was hardly a fruit on them, lie asked the gardener 
whether there was any fruit in the orchard, and the gardener 
said there was. They had not got any fruit on the cordons 
