266 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
another eye — the pair of stipulary eyes (" yeux stipulates ou sous- 
yeux "), which can be awakened into activity ; usually they remain 
dormant though still existing at the base or heel of the shoot. If 
we examine a vigorous shoot, it will be seen that the first few leaves 
are attached close about its base, and are four, five, or six in number ; 
they form a little cluster like those about the fruit -bud, and we call 
them the Basal Cluster. In less sturdy shoots the cluster is reduced 
perhaps to three leaves, whilst in crowded regions, and especially 
on secondary or premature shoots ("bourgeons anticipes "), the 
arrangement may not be apparent. On further examination it will be 
seen that there are no apparent eyes in their axils ; in French they 
are often called " folioles " in consequence ; generally they are smaller 
than the other leaves, especially the lowermost, which is often cast 
off early. These basal leaves are important as they nourish the 
" invisible " buds at their axils, and these buds are wanted in 
Lorette's system to produce fresh dards. Normally these leaves 
are implanted on a length of about \ to § inch, so that cutting 
back to this length leaves them intact, but removes all the leaves 
which have visible eyes. This cut is called the " taille sur empate- 
ment," as an English equivalent to which I propose the phrase " Cut 
to the basal cluster." 
Another structure to which reference'must be made is the " bourse " 
of the French; J. Laurence called this the " knob " about two hundred 
years ago, and I think that we may adopt his term for it, as we have 
none other. It is a somewhat fleshy thickening, especially in the 
Pear-tree, of a spur which bore fruit in the previous season, and is a 
fertile source of dards, though it also may give rise to wood-shoots. 
A cutting instrument will be needed, and the single curved secateur 
is the most convenient ; with a knife or parrot-beak shears the work 
is slower, because so much care has to be taken to avoid injuring leaves ( 
especially those of the basal cluster. Since further growth in line is 
not needed, there is no cause for oblique cuts ; moreover, it will be 
seen that further shortening may be done on the branchlet before the 
season is over. 
After these introductory remarks we are in a position to proceed 
with the pruning of June (or May /June). There are three possi- 
bilities in the constitution of a shoot at or about its base, 
1. There may be a fully -formed blossom bud. 
2. There may be a " dard " (fig. 36). 
3. Or there may be no sign of a fruiting organ. 
In the first two cases, the shoot is cut back to leave one leaf with 
an apparent eye ; the sap drawn by the basal cluster and the one other 
leaf is enough to throw in sufficient sap for either fruit-bud or dard, 
and not make the latter break. Where there is no fruiting organ the 
cut is made to the basal cluster to throw more sap back into the dor- 
mant eyes and cause them to make dards ; where there is no definite 
cluster the base of the shoot is weak, and it is better either to remove 
it entirely, or leave two or three leaves if it is wanted. In the course 
