158 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
' Derby/ ' Gladstone,' and one or two others hardly ever show a trace 
of this effect ; the shortened laterals practically always make either 
a new lateral or a " short dard." 
Natural Habit in Relation to Pruning. 
Several references to the individual habit of varieties of apples 
have already been made. The differences between different varieties 
in habit of growth and bearing have become so striking that careful 
observations have been made of each variety ; it is desired to 
emphasize these differences as strongly as possible, and to show the 
existence of very considerable losses due to rule-of-thumb pruning. 
In spraying their trees growers have been forced to recognize that 
each variety is a separate entity, with its own relation to both diseases 
and spray fluids. Similarly with pruning, growers who wish to get 
the best results must allow for the fact that a method admirably 
adapted to one variety may be hopeless when applied to another. 
Habit of Growth. 
Few growers nowadays fail to realize that a variety of spreading 
or drooping habit must be pruned differently from a very erect- 
growing variety. It will hardly be necessary, therefore, to give the 
commonly understood directions for keeping the branches of a 
spreading variety up off the ground, and for opening up the head of 
an erect variety. But for the benefit of those readers whose experi- 
ence is limited, it will perhaps be worth while to give a classification 
of the varieties we have here, in this connexion. The habit noted is 
that of the young tree ; it is frequently much altered later in life 
by the pulling down of the branches by the weight of the crops. 
Very erect — 'Annie Elizabeth/ 'Lord Derby' (fig. 38), ' Worcester 
Pearmain ' (fig. 37). 
Moderately erect — •' James Grieve,' ' Early Victoria/ ' Cox's Orange,' 
'Rival.' 
Intermediate — ' Bismarck ' (fig. 39), ' Grenadier,' ' Newton Wonder ' 
(fig. 32). 
Moderately spreading — ' Beauty of Bath,' ' Gladstone/ 
(' Bramley '). 
Very spreading — 'Lane's Prince Albert,' ' Allington ' (fig. 34), 
' Norfolk Beauty.' 
But there are other factors of " habit of growth " quite as im- 
portant to the pruner as erectness. Such are stoutness of branches, 
as affecting the degree to which the branches are bent down by the 
fruit ; natural furnishing of the branches with spurs ; and to a less 
extent the number of laterals formed. 
The stoutness of the branches has much influence on the amount 
of " tipping " required for the various purposes — i.e. temporary or 
permanent trees. The furnishing of the branches, again, affects the 
amount of " tipping " required, except for those growers who are 
