FAN-TRAINING. 
39 
never to overrate the vigour of the tree. All of these shoots 
except the leading ones, must at the proper season he shortened, 
but to what length must be left entirely to the judgment of the 
gardener, it of course depending upon the vigour of the tree. 
In shortening the shoot, care should be taken to cut back to a 
wood bud that will produce a shoot for the following year. Cut 
close to the bud, so that the wound may heal the following sea- 
son. The following year each~shoot at the extremities of the 
leading branches should produce, besides the leading shoot, one 
on the upper and two on the under part, more or less, according 
to the vigour of the tree ; whilst each of the secondary branches 
should produce besides the leading shoot, one other placed near 
to the bottom ; for the grand art of pruning, in all systems to 
which this class of trees is subjected, consists in preserving a 
sufficient quantity of young wood at the bottom of the tree ; and 
on no account must the gardener cut away clean any shoots so 
placed, without well considering if they will be wanted, not only 
for the present but for the future good appearance of the tree. 
The quantity of young wood annually laid in must depend upon 
quantity into a weakly tree as into a tree in full vigour. The 
gardener here must use his own judgment. But if any of the 
leading shoots manifest a disposition to outstrip the others, a 
portion of young shoots must be laid in, and a greater quantity 
of fruit suffered to ripen on the over-vigorous branch. At the 
same time a smaller quantity of fruit than usual must be left 
to ripen on the weaker branch. This will tend to restore the 
equilibrium better than any other method. Fig. 21, presents us 
with the figure of a tree in a more advanced state well balanced, 
and well calculated for an equal distribution of the sap all over 
its surface. [We have varied this figure by representing it train- 
ed on a trellis, instead of a wall.] Whenever any of the lower 
shoots have advanced so far as to incommode the others, they 
