SUMMER PRUNING AND TRAINING OF FRUIT-TREES. 



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leading shoot should be shortened back during the winter to 

 about 10 inches, when three shoots will probably form at the 

 top ; if more than three form, thin them out to that number. 

 The centre shoot should be trained straight upwards, and the 

 two others right and left of it. The branches are generally 

 trained 9 inches apart, this being three courses of bricks. If by 

 chance only two shoots form, insert a bud during July in the 

 vacant space. In the southern counties of England it may be 

 safe to shorten the leader as soon as it has become firm, so as to 

 form an extra pair of branches in a season, and I have known 

 such shoots to turn out satisfactorily, but in the North this 

 would not be a safe method to follow. During the formation of 

 the young trees, if there should be a shoot near the leader 

 growing ahead and so acting as a " robber " to the main shoot, 

 do not hesitate about shortening it back. 



As regards the summer pruning, it is the breastwood which 

 most concerns us. Do not upon any account practice early 

 pinching, thinking that by so doing fruit-buds may be formed. 

 More probably such treatment will but add fuel to the fire, 

 causing the growth of extra spray. The best course is to go 

 over the trees about the middle of June, and shorten back all 

 the stronger shoots to about five or six leaves, leaving the 

 weaker ones untouched. Towards the end of August a general 

 summer pruning should take place, all the shoots being shortened 

 back to four leaves. Trees that are in a fruitful condition will 

 not throw much breastwood, so that going over the trees twice 

 will not take up much time. If the trees are only gone over 

 once, there is the danger that if left too late it will cause the 

 trees to become gross, and if done too early a quantity of 

 secondary spray is certain to form, and by the end of the season 

 the trees will have the appearance of not having been pruned 

 at all. 



Trees in the Open. — It is with the treatment of these that 

 the greatest changes have occurred in people's ideas as to the 

 extent of pruning necessary. There cannot be any gainsaying 

 that, if we are to secure fruitful trees, the old system of close 

 pruning must be abandoned. The more we prune the more we 

 shall have to prune. 



The amount of pruning really necessary will depend prin- 

 cipally upon the formation of the tree during the first year or 



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