June 1, 1909 
with too much top, as by so doing it: will 
recover more quickly, and in the end 
make a much better tree. It will be seen 
by a reference to the figures shown that 
although the young trees may be about. 
the same size and shape when planted, 
yet, after the first pruning, they may 
present the shapes and forms illustrated. 
After the first summer’s growth, and 
before the second pruning, they will 
present about the appearance shown in 
Figs. 4, 5, and 6. 
By adopting a system of allowing only 
‘one leader or main branch to grow from 
each of the shoots (Figs. 1 and 2), and 
three starting from different points 
around the trunk of Fig. 3, the tree will 
present a fairly good appearance at the 
time of the first winter’s pruning (that 
is, the winter twelve months after the 
tree was planted in orchard form), which 
pruning will consist in cutting back 
seyerely, leaving each arm or branch 
about 15 inches in length. When the 
tree represented by Fiz, 6 is pruned it 
will only have four arms left, as shown in 
Fig. 8; and Figs. 4 and 6 will only have 
three arms each left, as shown in Figs. 7 
and 9, It may be considered by many 
that this is a rather drastic treatment’ of 
young trees, but it must be remembered 
that while the tree is young our object is 
to so train it as to produce a well- 
Fig. 11 
the winter is very light. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
balanced tree with good strong arms, and 
that in consequence, until the tree is 
three years old, our aim is to attain this, 
which is best accomplished by pruning 
for shape and strength and not for fruit. 
In performing the work it is often neces- 
sary to prune so as to spread the tree, as 
many trees are of very upright-growing 
habit, and therefore it is usually best to 
cut to an outside bud, cutting the branch 
diagonally across, as in this way it is 
and the risk of 
bruising the back-is reduced to a mini- 
mum. ’ 
more easily severed, 
During the second summer’s growth 
the tree will require as much labor, or 
even more, spent upon it in directing and 
guiding its growth, as, by the removal of 
certain young shoots and the encourage- 
ment of others, the secondary arms can 
be started from almost any point; and 
where the trees are given this summer 
attention the task left for the pruner in 
The second 
winter the trees would present an appear- 
ance similar to those shown in Figs. 10, 
11, and 12; and after pruning operations 
should have the appearance of those 
shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15 respec- 
tively. When Fig. 14 has four main 
arms and eight secondary branches, and 
Figs. 13 and 15 have each six secondary 
branches, the extreme points of which 
a1 
-_—— 
are now from 24 to 28 in. from the trunk, 
it will be found that some of the branches 
‘are stronger than others, and, therefore, 
during the summer pruning the stronger 
growing branches should be kept in check 
and the weaker ones given more freedom 
when it will be found that the weaker 
ones will make up the ground they have 
lost. 
Fig. 16. 
By the end of the third year the trees 
will have put on a good strong growth, 
and will be well formed trees, as shown 
by Fig. 16, and will, when cut back as 
indicated, present a good strong founda- 
tion for the future tree, with sufficient 
fruiting wood to carry a crop sufficiently 
large for its age—that is, providing it is a 
tree that reaches puberty at this age. 
Many varieties of apples, pears, and other 
fruits will not arrive at the bearing stage 
until they are much older. 
Tillage of Orchards. 
The Horticultural Instructor- (Mr. G. 
Qninn) writes the ‘ Journal of Agriculture 
of S.A.’:—In connection with the tillage 
of orchards in the open country where 
the rainfall is only a trifle over 20in., the 
soil should be broken up roughly in the 
early winter and allowed to remain in 
that condition until the beginning of 
spring. Then ploughing or digging 
should be done with a view to exposing 
as big a surface of the soil as possible to 
the action of the elements, and with a 
view to the absorption of all the rain 
which falls. Weeds will possibly grow on 
the roughly-ploughed ground, but not 
much notice need be taken of these, as 
they will be turned in béfore they have 
extracted sufficient moisture from the 
