CLIBRANS’ 1 . 1 ST OF FRUITS, 19089. 
9 
Autumn (per acre) 2 cwt. of kainit. In early Spring 2 cwt. super- 
phosphate of lime and 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda, just before the leaves are 
unfolded. 
PRUNING — No hard and fast laws can be laid down as to how 
pruning should be done, a great deal must be left to individual discretion 
at the time the operation is performed. The points at which to aim are— 
{a) to obtain a shapely tree or bush, (b) to admit light and air to the 
branches in order to induce fruitfulness. If the trees are STANDARD 
Apples, Plums, Damsons, Pears, &c., and have been well grown, and say 
about 3 years old, the shoots should be cut back to about one-third of their 
length, and older trees of 4 or 5 years only about half, thinning out any 
shoots in the middle which cross, to give light and air to the good wood, 
only allowing such to remain which would eventually assist in forming a 
well-balanced tree. Older trees than mentioned require less pruning, in 
fact little will be required. Do NOT prune CHERRIES the first year. They 
are best left alone until the second. The first consideration with Standard 
Trees is to get good heads, which should be made the object of a few years 
so as to subsequently become substantial and reliable fruit bearers. It is 
the common error of inexperienced growers to try to get fruit as soon as 
possible. This we condemn if good and lasting results are to be attained. 
PYRAMIDS should be treated in exactly the same manner as 
Standards. Young vigorous trees, closely pruned ; older trees, being more 
formed, do not require it too severe. The older the tree, the less pruning. 
CORDON TREES should have the leading branches left as long as 
possible; the reason for shortening is to ensure the buds breaking. If the 
wood is well ripened, rather cut too little than too much, as a point to be 
borne in mind is that fruit spur is wanted to form from buds ; these should 
be as weak as possible, and pruning of course strengthens the growth. 
Some sorts of Pears, for instance Bon Chretien and Marie Louise, may have 
their shoots left intact, whilst others, as Catillac, Jargonelle, Beurre super- 
fin, etc., should have their wood shortened, otherwise half may be bare. 
Some sorts of Plums, and even Apples, have these tendencies. 
ESPALIER-TRAINED TREES should have the leading shoot cut 
back to about a foot to 15 inches from the top horizontal branches, if the 
necessary buds exist for giving the next pair of branches, otherwise the 
nearest buds, be they an inch or two either way, higher or lower. The 
branches should be treated in the same manner as for Cordons. 
SUMMER PRUNI N G. — All the side shoots of Cordons, and shoots 
from the branches of Espaliers, or any trees if necessary, should be over- 
looked after the trees have made say 7 or 8 leaves of new growth, and 
pinched back to say 4 buds ; this can be done by the thumb nail. After the 
shoots have made new growths, these should also be treated in the same 
way, but only leaving about two eyes (say 6 or 7 in all on the season’s 
growth). When the season is delayed by being wet, a third pinching may 
be executed with advantage. The result will be, side shoots thin and weak, 
and the leading ones sappy, consequently vigorous and strong. 
I11 the following Autumn and Winter, prune the side shoots back to 3 
buds less on older trees ; the reason for so doing is that one of the buds 
will break into growth, generally the extreme, thus leaving the lower to 
practically lay dormant, so as to form fruit buds the following year. 
The advice given above deals with Apples, Pears, Plums, and such fruit 
trees grown on what is known as the spur system. On fruits such as 
Apricots Peaches, Nectarines, and Cherries, the previous season’s shoots 
supply the fruit. Therefore the treatment is in getting strong vigorous 
new shoots, and pruning, in the Autumn the wood that has borne fruit. 
Any shoots not wanted for nailing should be pinched back in a similar 
manner as recommended above, which will permit those shoots wanted 
for fruiting to become better ripened. 
