THE LORETTE SYSTEM OF PRUNING, 
271 
eyesy and (3) following from the latter, all pruning is done during 
active growth. 
(1) Distancing. — Most writers on training only speak of or allow 
a distance of about a foot between main branches ; thus the main 
boughs of a doubled U or of a horizontal palmette are put at 30 cm. 
in French and one foot in English works. Lorette considers that it 
is important not to go below the minimum of 40 cm. (15! inches) for 
trees trained in the flat, whether in espalier or counter-espalier (i.e. 
against a wall or on supports in the open) , whilst for pyramids, cones, 
&c, the distance advised is even greater (45 to 50 cm., or 177 to 197 
inches). The intention is to give plenty of space, light, and air, and 
so to encourage fruit-production with avoidance of basal denudation. 
Moreover, he would limit the total length of support branches on a 
tree to a maximum of 20 metres (65 feet) ; thus with a horizontal 
palmette of four tiers the length of branches would be about 7 \ feetj 
whilst a higher tree with ten pairs of branches would give a length of 
2| feet for each branch. I am disposed to think that a limitation on 
these lines is probably good from examples with long side branches 
with which I have had to deal ; incidentally, the higher trees are then 
much more readily got at with the ladder ; the long extensions, some- 
times formed to fill spaces far from the main trunk, tend to lead to 
denudation at the base. 
(2) Stipulary eyes. — In order to evoke the stipulary eyes it is needful, 
first of all, to cut back in April /May the leading or other shoot of 
last year just above the eye where the new shoots are required. The 
end bud will break and give forth a shoot (figs. 38, 39, 40). When 
this has attained pencil thickness and is thoroughly vigorous, but 
not fully lignified, it is cut back, a short stump only being left. 
On either side, at the base of this stump, the stipulary eyes shoot 
forth ; one however precedes the other, so that if both are wanted, as 
in forming a " doubled U " or a horizontal or Verrier palmette, they 
must be equalized by tying down the first and more sturdy one until 
the other has caught it up ; it is rarely necessary to snip the leaves 
also, whilst another aid, if needed, is to make longitudinal incision 
through the bark of the weaker shoot in the following March. It will 
be seen that the two boughs come off at precisely the same level, so 
that once equalized there is no difficulty in maintaining equilibrium 
once it has been established ; this is not the case when naturally 
occurring branches have been utilized for making so-called pairs. I 
need say no more in advocacy of this great improvement in technique, 
which indeed must be much less costly to install. 
If the central stem is required, as in a Verrier or a horizontal 
palmette, two buds are allowed to break, the lower one being placed 
in front and at the level for the first pair of branches, whilst the upper 
one may have any direction ; the two shoots at the lower eye are 
equalized for the first pair of branches, whilst of the upper pair only 
the second or weaker one is retained to continue the central trunk. 
In order to get the next pair of shoots in proper direction, this shoot 
