ON SUMMER PRUNING FRUIT TREES. 
277 
of this plan of training would be essential. 
The object should then be to convert every 
plant, whether naturally trailing or erect, into 
some such compact branching object as the 
scarlet Pelargoniums and the old yellow Cal- 
ceolarias naturally form ; and it would be 
extremely desirable so to control the growth 
of every plant, that the ground might be al- 
most, but not at any time altogether covered. 
It is not meant that there should be much 
bare earth visible between the plants, but just 
space enough that every plant might be fairly 
said to be distinct from the rest. It is only 
in this way that any arrangement or contrast 
of form and colour could be made manifest, 
when the parts were considerably reduced in 
size, as they would be made under these cir- 
cumstances. 
The continued neatness and order of a 
flower garden depends upon a continuance of 
the system of removing irregular growths, 
and of arresting the growth of the points of 
the branches. Even when the plants get into 
blossom, this is to be continued, or they soon 
get into disorder or confusion. No plant or 
group of plants should be permitted to straggle 
or extend beyond the space allotted to it or 
them ; and no lanky branches should be per- 
mitted to extend upwards beyond the allotted 
range of each particular group. On the sys- 
tematic observance of these two rules, and 
the prompt application of that kind of atten- 
tion which they suggest, depends, as we said 
before, the neatness and order of a modern 
flower garden. 
ON SUMMER PRUNING FRUIT TREES. 
BY M. MANOURY. 
When vegetation has become active, it is 
indispensable, if we wish to form trees and 
induce them to fruit the following season, to 
attend to them carefully, and do what may be 
necessary to ensure that development of the 
shoots which is favourable to the attainments 
desired, the extension of such as are likely 
to form the frame-work of the tree. Among 
the means which may thus be employed with 
advantage, is the process of pinching, which 
consists in nipping off, with the nails of the 
thumb and fore finger, the extremities of the 
shoots while yet green and soft. 
Pear-trees. — Pear-trees trained in the 
espalier form are often encumbered with 
shoots in front of the main branches, and 
which become very vigorous, forming those 
branches that are sometimes called gourmands, 
requiring to be taken off at a considerable 
sacrifice of sap. To obviate the inconvenience 
and injury consequent on these amputations, 
it is necessary to prevent these shoots from 
growing, and by this suppression force the 
sap into those whose vigour is required to 
constitute the frame-work of the tree. When 
a particular disposition of the branches is 
required on any tree, it is necessary to secure 
two good buds or eyes, at least, at that point 
where they are desired, and which should not 
be pinched back. If, however, one of them 
increases so much as to take away from the 
nourishment of the other, it should be pinched 
in order to induce the sap to flow into that 
other. Those shoots which are required either 
to invigorate or increase the number of the 
main branches, having been properly adjusted, 
the others which are likely to become too 
vigorous should be pinched, with a due re- 
gard, however, to such as are likely to form 
fruit-buds. Pear-trees of the pyramidal and 
quenouille form should be treated as the espa- 
liers ; that is to say, the leading shoots ought 
not to be stopped ; but pinching is necessary 
as regards the fruit bearing branches, when 
they are likely to become too vigorous. 
Peach-trees. — As with the pears, so peach- 
trees require to be pinched, and to have all 
superfluous branches completely taken off. 
Each fruit branch should be left with one 
wood-bud at the base, or two at the most. 
If these buds or shoots are in front of the 
branches, they should be pinched back from 
two to three inches long, after they have 
grown five or six inches, if they are above the 
branches ; and if they grow from the under 
side of the branches, they may be allowed to 
have from eight to ten inches before they are 
pinched back. In winter the fruit-branches 
are trained with the view of making them 
productive, but sometimes many of the eyes, 
or buds, which have been left, produce a great 
number of shoots ; all those above the fourth 
leaf which do not bear, should be pinched off, 
or pruned, bearing in mind that each fruit 
should be accompanied or surmounted by two 
or three good leaves. But as in the pear-trees, 
those shoots which are necessary to form the 
principal branches should not be topped. 
Apricots. — Of all trees, the apricot is one 
of those which most require early pinching ; 
but it is indispensable to be able to distinguish 
those buds or shoots which are likely to be 
productive of fruit, from those which are 
likely to come to wood; for the pinching of 
the fruit-buds completely destroys the ensuing 
crop. The wood-bud is full, and when about 
four or five inches long, it is terminated by a 
sort of cabbage-like bud, composed of a series 
of leaves rolled round each other ; such shoots- 
as this should be pinched back very short. 
On the other hand, the fruit-bearing shoot 
is much more lank, redder, not often longer 
than four or five inches, and having much less 
