140 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
treatment on the earlier planted plot, and five years' treatment "on the 
later part. 
The methods of pruning were suggested by a Committee of Fruit 
Growers, who met at the Research Station and discussed what plan 
of experiment was most likely to give results of value. At the outset 
it was decided that only winter pruning should be investigated, the 
effects of summer pruning being left for a separate experiment. The 
programme finally drawn up was based on the application to the 
trees of four methods actually in use among commercial growers. 
The methods chosen may be briefly described as follows : 
(a) " Unpruned " ; only diseased and broken wood removed. 
This represents the practice of a large number of growers in many 
districts who are not yet convinced of the value of any pruning. 
(b) " Open centre " or " regulated " ; centre of tree kept open 
and more or less bowl-shaped ; no " spurring " done except for this 
purpose. This is a common practice with standard and half-standard 
trees, and is sometimes also applied to bush trees. 
(c) Tipped and long-spurred (referred to hereafter as " long-spur 
pruned ") ; leaders tipped (" strong growers " one-third, " medium 
growers " one-half, " weak growers " two-thirds), and all laterals 
not needed to form branches spurred to three prominent buds 
(figs. 24 and 25). 
(d) Tipped and short-spurred (referred to hereafter as " short- 
spur pruned ") ; like (c), except that the laterals are spurred to one 
prominent bud. This method of spurring, or a near approach to it, 
is regularly practised by some large growers in several districts ; 
it has been spoken of as the " Swanley method," but is certainly not 
confined to the Swanley district, or practised universally there. 
Experience has led us to modify these methods to a slight extent, 
especially as regards the extent of " tipping." By the end of the 
seventh year from the planting of the older trees, it was clear that 
tipping two-thirds was quite unsatisfactory, and altogether too 
drastic treatment ; since then the " weak growers " have therefore 
been treated like the " medium growers," and tipped one-half. The 
original list as drawn up by the Committee of Growers was as follows : 
Strong-growing 
Varieties. Medium Growers. Weak Growers. 
Newton Wonder. Worcester Pearmain. Lane's Prince Albert. 
Beauty of Bath. Allingt on Pippin. Grenadier (Paradise). 
Lord Derby. Gladstone. Early Victoria. 
Norfolk Beauty. James Grieve. Bismarck. 
Annie Elizabeth. Rival. 
Cox's Orange. 
Grenadier (Crab). 
A rule also became necessary as to the lower limit of the length of 
a lateral to be spurred. For two years we have now spurred every 
lateral of sufficient length, except those of 3 inches or less which had 
