September  28,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
‘Nil 
PINCHING  FRUIT  TREES. 
In  support  of  my  opinion  upon  pinching  fruit  trees,  I  will  first 
say  the  pinching  operation  must  at  all  times  be  worked  in  combina¬ 
tion  with  other  sound  practices.  In  no  other  way  will  it  give  effect  in 
favour  of  fruit  bu  1  production.  The  first  and  most  important  con¬ 
sideration  is  the  tree’s  equilibrium.  And  we  must  pinch  according  to 
the  poise  ot  the  tree ;  this  will,  as  far  as  pinching  is  concerned,  help 
to  form  a  good  foundation.  I  discard  any  idea  that  pinching  will 
tend  to  bring  trees  into  an  unfruitful  condition.  This  is  impossible; 
and  if  pinching  is  not  carried  out  intelligently  and  in  association  with 
appropriate  management  of  the  root  and  branches,  it  is  the  best  to 
leave  pinching  alone. 
And  now  in  regard  to  fruit  bud  formation.  This,  as  I  have 
indicated,  depends  upon  the  balance,  which  must  be  as  near  equal  as 
possible  between  the  roots  and  branches,  one  of  which  is  a  complement 
of  the  other,  and  all  agents  applied  artificially  must  work  in  harmony 
with  that  essential.  This  will  reduce  the  necessity  of  pinching  to  a 
minimum.  My  opinion  is  still  the  same  as  given  on  page  48, 
July  20th,  that  a  check  to  the  sap  will  cause  fruit  buds  to  appear. 
But  I  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  these  buds  will  take  four  years  to 
develop  into  blossom.  I  mean  the  buds  which  are  caused  by  pinching. 
These  buds  are  not  upon  the  current  year’s  growth,  but  upon  the 
previous  year’s  shoot,  still  both  growths  are  upon  the  same  spur.  The 
bud  at  the  end  of  the  cu  rent  year’s  growth  will  the  year  after 
pinching  again  break  into  growth,  and  it  is  upon  that  year’s  growth 
which  I  expect  to  ste  blossom  in  two  years’  time.  The  buds  caused 
by  pinching  are  in  a  different  stage  to  those  upon  the  current  year’s 
growth.  The  latter  are  greatly  developed  before  pinching  takes  place, 
but  those  caused  by  pinching  will  require  another  season  or  two  to 
advance  so  that  the  eye  can  perceive  them.  I  never  knew  these  buds 
to  form  on  non-pinebed  trees,  still  they  might  do  so. 
My  opinion  is  still  that  if  the  sap  is  checked  so  as  to  cause  a 
circular  motion  round  the  incipient  blossom  buds  that  a  full  fruit  bud 
w’ill  form,  but  it  is  not  clearly  visible  as  such  until  two  years  after 
pinching  of  the  shoot  has  taken  place.  The  two  basal  buds  on  the 
current  year's  growth  will  result  in  blossom  provided  the  pinching  is 
done  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  a  second  growth  taking  place  from 
the  shoot  pinched.  I  intend  on  a  future  occasion  to  try  and  reach  the 
■equilibrium  of  Mr.  Geo.  Picker’s  question  on  page  317,  April  20th,  for, 
if  I  mistake  not,  the  question  is  not  yet  answered. 
I  now  enclose  a  pencil  sketch,  to  help  me  to  explain  my  opinion. 
I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  reproduce  it.  I  know  it  will  make  your 
able  artist  smile.  I  sketched  it  from  a  branch  of  a  Pitmaston  Duchess 
Pear  tree,  which  1  have  pinched  twice.  No.  1,  2,  and  3  buds  are  the 
same  age,  fifteen  months  old;  but  No.  1  bud  will  not  blossom  until  its 
third  year,  while  No.  2  and  3  will  blossom  at  two  years  of  age. 
No.  4,  5,  and  6  are  upon  the  current  year's  wood,  which  I  pinched 
in  July  last,  just  above  No.  6  bud.  In  two  years’  time  No.  4  and  5 
buds  wili  blcssom,  and  the  same  year  No.  6  bud  will  break  into 
growth.  No.  7,  8,  and  9  buds  are  caused  by  a  check  of  sap,  brought 
about  by  pinching;  they  are  fifteen  months  old,  and  will  blossom  at 
four  years  of  age.  No.  10  is  a  leafstalk  (I  hope  my  opposing  friends 
will  believe  that,  if  nothing  else),  and  No.  11  a  leaf.  Between  the 
figures  7  and  8  will  be  seen  the  waved  lines,  caused  by  ciicular  motion 
of  the  diverted  sap  after  pinching.  No.  12  is  the  point  at  which  I 
pinched  fifteen  months  ago,  and  it  is  at  the  base  of  this  point  that  I 
find  the  buds  to  break  through  the  bark,  as  shown  at  No.  7,  8,  and  9. 
I  wonder  if  Mr.  Dunkin  still  thinks  me  a  bold  man.  I  am  obliged  by 
your  allowing  me  to  explain  through  your  columns  my  opinions  on 
pinching. — H.  Mitchell,  Druidstone. 
[We  congratulate  our  correspondent  on  the  excellence  of  his  sketch. 
The  artist’s  “smile”  would  be  of  satisfaction,  that  he  had  such  a 
•clear  pourtrayal  of  the  subject  before  him  for  reproduction.] 
NOTES  ON  FIGS. 
Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. — As  it  is  not  advisable  to  increase 
4he  pot  room,  a  few  inches  of  soil  may  be  removed  from  the  base  of  each 
ball,  cutting  back  the  roots,  also  reduce  the  ball  a  little  at  the  side,  so  as 
to  provide  room  for  fresh  compost,  and  remove  the  loose  surface  soil, 
■cutting  off  any  straggling  roots.  The  drainage  must  be  perfect,  using 
a  compost  of  fibrous  loam  three  parts,  decayed  manure  one  part,  and  old 
mortar  rubbish  pounded  one  part,  thoroughly  incorporated,  and  laid  under 
cover  a  few  weeks  previous  to  potting,  if  necessary,  to  become  moderately 
dry.  Make  the  whole  very  firm.  Afford  a  good  watering,  and  place  the 
•trees  where  they  can  have  plenty  of  air  with  shelter  from  heavy  rains  and 
snow. 
Trees  in  large  pots— say,  18  inches,  that  have  been  stood  on  brick 
pedestals  to  prevent  their  sinking  with  the  fermenting  material,  require 
different  treatment.  In  their  case,  every  particle  of  the  old  Oak,  Beech, 
or  Spanish  Chestnut  leaves,  which  are  the  most  durable,  should  be 
removed  from  the  bed,  and  the  surface  dressings  also  be  picked  from 
-amongst  the  roots  with  a  hand  fork,  shortening  the  strongest  roots.  The 
drainage  being  attended  to,  the  trees  are  to  te  placed  in  position  on  the 
loose  brick  pedestals,  and  the  soil  surface  dressed  with  the  compost  named 
firmly  rammed  into  the  pots.  Supply  water  to  settle  the  soil,  and  after 
this  keep  the  house  cool,  dry,  and  well  ventilated  until  the  time  ot  starting 
in  November  or  December.  This  method  is  preferable  to  repotting 
annually,  as  tie  trees  are  less  likely  to  cast  their  first  crop  of  fruit,  which 
is  the  most  important,  and  it  is  not  advisable  to  disturb  trees  in  18  or 
20  inch  pots  at  the  roots  more  than  can  be  helped. 
Trees  that  are  not  in  as  large  pots  as  desired,  or  when  it  is  thought 
advisable  to  increase  the  root  space,  may  be  given  a  liberal  shift,  the  sides 
of  the  ball  being  loosened  with  a  hand  fork,  and  any  straggling  roots  cut 
back,  also  the  matted  roois  in  the  drainage.  Provide  good  drainage,  using 
the  same  kind  of  compost  for  potting  as  before  advised,  and  ram  it  into 
the  pots  as  hard  as  the  ball,  this  being  moistened  previously. 
Succession  Houses. — The  trees  now  ripening  second  crop  F  gs 
must  be  gradually  kept  drier  as  the  days  shorten,  a  little  fire  heat  being 
necessary  in  dull  weather  to  admit  a  free  circulation  of  air  and  prevent 
damp,  for  moisture  settling  on  the  fruit  causes  it  to  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
fungi,  which  cause  decay.  Particular  attention  must  be  given  to  the 
exposure  of  the  wood  to  the  full  influence  of  sun  and  air,  removing  all 
useless  growth,  thinning  where  the  shoots  are  too  close,  and  allowing  the 
Over-luxuriant  Trees. — In  rich  borders  and  the  root  space  deep 
and  extensive,  Fig  trees  are  apt  to  become  too  strong  for  fruit  bearing, 
and  in  that  case  preparation  should  be  made  for  lifting  as  soon  as  the 
leaves  turn  yellow.  Fruitless  trees  must  have  a  trench  taken  out  about 
one-third  ti  e  distance  from  the  stem  the  branches  extend,  cutting  all  the 
roots.  This  will  check  the  tendency  to  lat-  growth,  and  concentrate  the 
forces  on  the  ripening  of  the  wood.  In  other  cases  the  trees  should  be 
attended  to  as  soon  as  the  crop  is  gathered,  lilting  them  with  care,  cutting 
back  all  long  roots,  retaining  the  fibrous  only. 
Good  drainage  is  necessary.  A  3-inch  drain  with  proper  fall  and 
outlet  will  be  the  best,  and  a  foot  thickness  of  brickbats  with  a  3-inch 
layer  of  old  mortar  rubbish  over  will  provide  the  first.  A  border  of  4  to 
6  feet  width  is  much  better  than  a  wide  one,  and  18  inches  to  2  feet  depth 
of  soil  ample.  What  is  wanted  is  firm,  sweet,  calcareous  soil  that  will 
admit  of  the  percolation  of  water  and  air  through,  and  retain  the 
manurial  elements  essential  to  the  production  of  fine  fruit.  Good  turfy 
loam  four  parts,  and  one  part  each  of  old  mortar  rubbish  and  road  scrapings 
form  a  suitable  and  durable  border,  incorporating  well.  Place  the  com¬ 
post  together  firmly,  so  as  to  insure  a  sturdy,  short-jointed  growth. 
Spread  out  the  tree  roots  evenly,  work  in  the  soil  amongst  them,  and 
make  it  firm,  placing  them  in  layers  as  they  rise,  and  keeping  them  well 
up,  not  covering  the  topmost  more  than  2  cr  3  inches.  1  he  soil  must  be 
moist  when  used,  but  it  ought  not  to  be  wet.  Give  a  moderate  watering, 
and  keep  ccol  and  dry. — Grower. 
