118 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



interfere with its neighbour. Sufficient shoots must be laid in 

 to form the framework, and where they are too thickly placed 

 they must either be pinched back to form spurs, or, if these are 

 not needed, cut them clean out with a sharp knife. Sometimes 

 a shoot or two may be forging ahead at the expense of the 

 others, and be causing them to be weakened thereby ; if so, 

 pinch out the points, but not otherwise. It is these equally 

 balanced shoots, laid in intact, which form natural spurs. Some 

 would shorten all these shoots back again, if only to the extent 

 of just taking off the tips. But this is not the best course to 

 pursue. If a shoot should want shortening so as to equalise the 

 growth or to form extra shoots, shorten it, but not otherwise. 

 By merely taking off the tips it causes a mop -like growth to 

 form at the ends, and the lower part becomes bare. Natural 

 spurs are far more likely to form when the shoots are laid in 

 their whole length. Secondary branches must also be encouraged 

 from the leading branches, but the same principle holds good 

 with the whole. The crossing of branches, or the running into 

 each other, must of course be avoided ; but with the framework 

 of the tree thus properly laid the summer pruning may be very 

 expeditiously performed. 



Allowing the young growing shoots of either Apricots, Plums, 

 or Cherries to grow ahead until far into the season before being 

 checked, results in the trees becoming gross and unfruitful, and 

 when hi due course they are shortened back, instead of assisting 

 in forming fruitful spurs, it only paves the way for other strong 

 shoots to follow, and the trees gradually merge out of their 

 fruitful habit, and probably gumming ensues. With young trees, 

 and especially Plums, there appears to be a natural tendency 

 for the shoots to form more thickly towards the ends of the 

 branches ; therefore these should be pinched first, so as to 

 equalise the sap more in the lowermost parts. All shoots not 

 required for laying in must be pinched back to the fourth or 

 fifth leaf, and after this first pinching any growth which may 

 follow on fruitful trees rarely exceeds what is needed for the 

 health of the tree. The growth needed is a kind of semi-exten- 

 sion, and if this will not bring the trees into a fruitful condition, 

 or if the growth should be extra strong, through a too rich root- 

 run, nothing short of root-pruning will bring the trees into a 

 satisfactory condition. 



