~ 26 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
July 1, 1908 
ALEX, DOWIE & SONS, 
Ss FRundie St., Adelaide. 
All Storekeepers stock our Boots and Shoes. 
Insist on our D. & S. Monogram 
Stamp on your Boots 
Garden and Farm Boots and Daintiest Footwear. 
| Telephone No. 509. 
_ of removing large branches should be to 
secure a nice evenly-balanced tree, with 
plenty of room between the limbs for 
the admission of light. Such trees afford 
ample rcom for lateral growth and fruit- 
ing-wood to be distributed between the 
branches, afford access to the spray, and 
to the: picker, and minimise the risk of 
breaking or injuring such spur-growth as 
is formed. 
 DrsicN or THE TREE. 
The first attention that the shape of 
the tree should receive is when it is 
topped after planting, At this time, it 
should be decided at what height from 
the ground thé limbs should he started, 
and the number of arms of which the 
tree is to be composed. Topping a tree 
at from 18in. to 2ft. enables it to ke built — 
up so as to provide sufficient cover to 
protect the trunk from the sun, and to- 
afford shade for the roots. Moreover, the 
height is a serviceable one for it enables 
the ground around the trunk to be easily 
worked, and with proper treatment pro- . 
vides for a good-sized tree, able to carry .. 
crops which may be easily harvested 
without permitting it to grow ‘to such a 
height as to catch the fnll force of the 
wind. Whether three or four branches 
are to form the main design of the tree 
such buds should be selected as will 
develop at even di tances around the 
trunk, As these grow up secondary arms 
may be brought out in such positions as 
to prevent the tree from becoming oyer- 
crowded. Pruning during the first three 
or fovr years should he directed towards 
forming good sturdy limbs, and it is 
therefore desirable that the amount of 
wood between successive prunings should 
not be left t:o long, but.rather that they ‘ 
should be cut hard back so as to enable 
them to properly develop. During this 
pericd the tree should be built up to 
assure the desired forms, The shape now 
most in favor resemtles that of a vase, 
This shape is given by keeping the centre. 
of the tree open, and gradually bringing 
the main arms out to form a succession 
of curves, which gives strength to the 
branches and enables them to bear heavy 
crops without giving way, while the more 
even distribution of the fruit which is 
induced also contributes to this result, 
This style of pruning has the following 
advantages :—By keeping the centre of 
the tree open it allows the sunlight to 
. 
Se 
warm and mature the fruit on the innoz 
branches ; it induces more even distribu- 
tion; it gives greater strength, and also 
facilitates harvesting, spraying, and similar 
oparations, e git 
Bearing Woop. 
After the shape of the tree has been 
secured, the most important object to be 
achieved by pruning is the promotion 
and regulation of the development of 
fruiting wood. The manner in which this 
is done depends largely upon the species 
of tree to be treated. Such trees as 
peaches and nectarines form their fruit 
on the wood made in the preceding year, 
or what is commonly known as the one- 
year-old wood, The same applies to the 
apricot, with the exception that it sets its 
fruit upon spurs formed on the one-year- 
old wood, instead of on the branch itself. 
With such trees as peaches the best 
~ results are to be obtained by pruning the 
new growth back to about six buds, and 
as new wood is thrown out, and the twigs 
become bushy, to cut them back on old_ 
and useless wood, so as to maintain a 
continuous supply of new one-year-old 
growth. Owing to the vigorous nature of 
the apricot summer-pruning is one of the 
(Continued on page 30).; | 
