338 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  27,  1899. 
PINCHING  FRUIT  TREES. 
1  AM  firmly  of  opinion  that  pinching  or  stopping  the  shoots  of 
fruit  trees  to  form  fruit  buds  is  in  certain  ca^es  a  necessary  evil.  So 
long  as  fruit  trees  are  trained  in  restricted  form.«,  pinching,  stopping,  or 
shortening  the  current  year’s  shoots  when  these  would  extend  into 
vigorous  long  growth.s,  will  be  necessary.  The  term  “pinching”  would 
nppear  to  imply  the  early  stopping  of  growths  when  yet  young  and 
soft,  probably  before  the  lower  leaves  have  attained  to  full  size.  In  such 
cases  1  would  condemn  pinching,  and  should  say  emphatically  that 
the  practice  would  not  produce  fruit  buds  the  first  season  on  Apples, 
Tears,  and  Plums.  For  pinching,  stopping,  and  shortening  generally 
to  be  productive  of  good  results — he.,  the  formation  of  fruit  huds,  it 
ought  net  to  be  practised  on  any  growth  before  the  principal  lower 
leaves  on  such  have  attuned  full  size.  These  pinched  or  stoppe  1 
shoots  must  have  abundar  ce  of  light  and  air.  The  large  leaves  will 
then  be  able  to  perform  their  functions,  which  are  of  an  important 
character.  With  the  aid  of  the  roots,  which  must  be  lamifyiug  in 
fertile  soil  near  the  surface,  the  food  from  the  earth  is  supplied  to 
the  leaves  where  it  meets  the  food  from  the  air.  The  whole  is  then 
mamifactured  or  changed  into  material  of  a  suitable  character  and 
transferred  to  the  buds  at  the  base. 
It  is  similar  with  trees  that  do  not  grow  in  restricted  form.  If 
each  shoot  can  have  a  fiiir  share  of  light  and  air,  and  the  roots  are 
abundant  and  fibrou.®,  (xtending  in  good  soil  near  the  surface,  there 
will  be  an  eijualily  which  will  favour  short  jointed  growth,  and  fruit 
buds  Mill  be  largely  encouraged. 
I  quite  concur  -with  the  la.'^t  sentence  of  Mr.  Geo.  Picker’s  note 
{page  317).  I  hok  upon  pinching  as  supplementary  to  the  vaiious 
cultural  stages  in  the  management  of  fruit  trees.  Good  soil,  proper 
positions,  young  unspoiled  trees,  the  best  varieties,  correct  planting, 
are  all  more  important  than  pinching,  which  depends  largely  ujion 
those  details  as  to  its  success  or  failure. — E.  D.  S. 
From  an  experience  extending  longer  than  that  quoted  on  pagf*  317 
by  IMr.  Picker,  I  quite  agree  with  him  that  pinching  the  shoots  tf 
Iruit  trees  does  not  induce  the  formation  of  fruit  buds.  I  have  tried 
tlje  plan  extensively  on  all  sorts  of  trec.s,  pinching  in  June,  Jul}’,  and 
again  in  September,  and  when  the  trees  were  winter  pruned  I  failed 
to  see  that  floM'er  buds  had  increased  in  the  slightest. 
I  know  this  expeiience  is  not  in  accord  with  the  doctrine  taught 
by  some  writers,  but  it  is  a  fact,  nevertheless,  that  there  is  far  too 
much  faith  placed  in  the  summer  pinching  of  fruit  trees  to  induce 
fruitfulness.  The  idea  is  broadly  this — pinching  off  surplus  growths 
to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  base  to  check  the  flow  of  sap,  induce 
the  base  buds  to  plump  up,  and  thus  form  spurs  for  future  fruit 
bearing.  I  am  afraid  this  teaching  is  a  long  way  from  being  practical. 
It  is  difficult,  indeed,  to  induce  fruit  buds  to  form  from  purely 
shoot  buds.  Fiiiit  buds  are  foimed  naturally  upon  trees,  according  to 
various  circumstances  of  variety,  methrd  of  planting,  as  w'ell  as  of 
training  the  branches.  Some  varieties  of  Apjilcs,  for  instance,  will  form 
fruit  buds  too  freely,  so  as  to  hinder  the  extension  required  for  occupying 
surrounding  space,  while  others  will  grow  several  years  without  the 
slightest  sign  of  giving  a  fruit  crop.  This  latter  happens  in  spite  of 
vigorous  summer  pinching  of  the  shoots.  If  the  pinching'is  effective, 
why  is  it  that  we  see  so  many  varieties  of  Apples  fruitless  year  alter  year? 
I  am  a  strong  advocate  of  summer  pruning,  or  pinching,  call  it 
what  you  will,  but  it  is  not  with  the  idea  of  inducing  fruitfulness 
by  the  pinching  only.  I  approve  of  the  plan  of  cutting  away  all 
surplus  shoots  that  are  not  required  for  the  furnishing  of  the  trees  in 
their  various  forms  of  training  for  another  object — viz.,  the  admission 
of  sun,  air,  and  wind  amongst  the  branches  to  mature  them,  and  thus 
assist  in  naturally  forming  fruit  buds. 
If  it  were  not  for  excluding  light  and  air  to  the  innermost  parts  of 
the  trees,  especially  bushes,  I  would  allow  theai  to  remain  until 
oeptember  and  then  give  the  trees  all  the  pruning  they  require.  I  do 
not  believe  in  the  practice  of  waiting  until  December  to  prune  any 
fruit  tree.  Far  better  do  it  while  the  leaves  are  still  hanging;  it  is 
easier  to  see  what  shoots  are  required,  and  the  work  is  then  more 
pleasant  for  the  operator. 
Even  bmh  fruit  trees — Goosel'errics  and  Currants — I  like  to  see 
summer  pruned  for  the  sake  of  having  fruit  clean  and  w'ell  coloured. 
Apples  are  undoubtedly  belter  coloured  where  summer  pruning  is 
done  to  admit  sunlight  to  the  fruit.  Some  persons  think  that  the 
latter  has  no  eflect  upon  the  colouring  of  Apples;  this  opinion  is  not 
shared  by — E.  Molyneux. 
For.  the  conditions  of  such  a  test  as  proposed  by  Mr.  Picker  to  be 
perfectly  fair  all  the  trees  must  be  on  the  same  kind  of  stcck,  and  as 
early  fruiting  is  the  aim,  the  Apples  should  be  on  the  Broad-leaved 
Paradise,  the  Pears  on  the  Quince.  It  wdll  then  be  found  that, 
generally,  punching  done  at  the  proprer  time,  in  the  right  way  (there  is 
an  improprer  time  and  a  wrong  way)  will  induce  free  fruiting  earlier 
than  is  possible  in  trees  with  unshortened  growth. 
As  an  exception  I  may  mention  a  fine  pryramidal  Newton  Wonder 
Apple  some  12  feet  high  that  in  the  sixth  year  from  planting  had  only 
about  six  Apples,  while  a  half-standard  of  the  same  sort  pdanted  at  the 
same  time  near  it  had  a  heavy  c.op  of  fruit :  both  are  on  the  Paradise 
stock. 
But  it  must  be  clearly  understood  that  pinching  docs  not  produce 
fruit  buds  on  growth  of  the  current  year,  not  even  upron  such  free- 
fruiting  Apples  as  Dutch  Mignonne,  Potts’  Seedling,  Stirling  Castle, 
Lord  Suffield.and  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  It  is  precisely  when  the  trees 
have  attained  a  useful  size,  say  in  the  sixth  year,  that  the  advantage 
apprears  to  be  with  the  standards. 
For  example,  and  keeping  to  Appdes,  I  have  among  half-.standards 
Duchess  of  Oldenburg  wdth  plenty  of  fruit,  buds  u])on  last  year’s 
growth,  Worcester  Pearmain  and  Newton  Wonder  wuth  numerous 
terminal  fruit  buds,  Ecklinville  and  Keswick  Codlin  with  the  young 
shouts  absolutely  bristling  with  fruit  buds.  Mr.  Picker  may  be  con¬ 
gratulated  in  calling  attention  to  this  matter.  I  hope  to  deal  with 
pinching  more  fully  shortly. — Edward  Lcckhurst, 
The  question  asked  by  Mr.  G.  Picker  is  an  interesting  one,  though 
it  raises  a  side  issue  in  the  sequel — namely,  that  of  extension  versus 
restriction. 
The  jihilosophy  of  pinching  is  obvious.  By  preventing  the  tree 
from  developing  superfluous  growths  its  strength  is  clearly  husbanded 
and  thrown  into  those  parts  that  remain,  which  are  thereby  rendered 
stouter  and  more  robust,  as  well  or  better  capable  of  forming  blossom 
buds  and  of  bearing  fine  fruit. 
The  practice  of  stopping  requires  the  exercise  of  that  philosophy 
with  judgment.  The  extent  to  wdiich  pinching  may  be  carried  out 
w^ith  advantage  deprends  very  much  on  the  subject  under  treatment, 
its  rate  of  growth,  and  many  other  local  circumstances.  Some 
practitioners  advise  close,  others  moderate,  and  others,  again,  as  little 
punching  as  possible  consistent  with  keeping  the  resprective  trees  within 
bounds,  and  preserving  an  evenly  balanced  head.  This  is  scarcely  to 
be  w'ondred  at  when  we  consider  that  the  matter  of  stopping  has  a 
wide  and  varied  ap^pdicaticn,  and  also  that  different  soils  and  localities 
have  their  prarticular  influences  ( n  the  varieties  grown  in  them,  so 
that  the  pjrop^er  system  of  treatment  must  necessarily  vary  .somewhat 
in  detail. 
The  work  of  punching,  or  summer  pruning,  should  be  practised 
with  discrimination,  conelucting  it  with  a  view  to  preserving  an 
equality  and  symmetry  amongst  the  branches,  and  also  at  the  same 
time  promote  health  and  fertility.  This  brings  us  to  the  crux  of  Mr. 
Picker’s  question,  and  I  have  pleasure  in  gixing  the  outcome  of  a 
lifetime  of  experience. 
Young  trees,  as  I  have  noticed  them,  are  invariably  disposed  to 
produce  more  branches  tharv  can  have  the  space  essential  for  proprer 
development.  Now,  by  thinning  cut  the  weak  and  misplaced 
growths,  additional  nourishment  is  supplied  to  the  others,  which  may 
be  allowed  to  develop  and  remain  their  full  length,  or  only  be  short¬ 
ened  so  as  to  preserve  an  equality  of  vigour  and  the  desired  form 
of  tree.  If  a  young  fruit  tree  be  growm  cn  in  this  way  without 
much  cutting  until  it  arrives  at  a  bearing  state,  it  has  usually  much 
cleaner  and  healthier  branches,  which  of  course  prroduce  the  finest  fruit. 
When  a  young  tree,  on  the  other  hand,  has  to  be  severely  pruned 
in  order  to  secure  the  requisite  number  of  growths,  and  this  system  of 
close  prruning  has  to  be  or  is  continued,  it  is  hardly  likely  that  the 
frequent  and  severe  amputations  will  favour  fruit  production.  If  such 
tree  be  treated  upon  mere  rational  principles,  the  side  shoots  not 
required  for  forming  branches  pinched  to  three  leaves,  and  the 
branches  merely  topped  to  preserve  the  symmetry  or  even  balance  of 
growth,  it  will  assuredly  bear  fruit  earlier  and  of  a  much  finer  quality 
than  were  all  the  growths  left.  Your  correspondent  does  not  mean 
that  sort  of  punching,  for  he  takes  care  to  have  an  “open  door”  and 
mixes  the  orthodox  method,  intelligently  carried  out,  with  the  senseless 
stumping  system  of  manipulation. 
By  adopting  a  proper  system  of  summer  pinching,  much  good 
results  to  the  branches  retained,  fiom  their  basal  leaves  being  more 
exposed  to  light,  they  are  the  more  effectual  in  the  manu'^acture  and 
storage  of  nutrient  matter,  and  there  w'ill  be  less  need  of  cutting  in 
the  winter.  When  branches  are  allowed  to  grow  at  will,  particularly 
towards  the  centre  of  a  tree,  they  frequently  become  too  sappy,  weak, 
and  long  for  fruit-beaiing,  and  they  utilise  sap  for  wood-production, 
which  renders  others  unproductive.  Neglect  summer  pruning  in  such 
case,  and  cut  the  werse  than  useless  branches  away  at  the  winter 
pruning.  What  is  the  result  ?  A  number  of  shcots  start  in  the 
spiing  following  fiom  the  position  where  those  of  the  previous  year 
have  been  taken  away.  « 
Summer  pruning  or  pinching  mainly  apvplies  to  trees  that  produce 
the  I'ruit  on  spuds  or  short  side  branches,  and  they  are  pinched  for  the 
express  purpose  of  causing  the  production  or  formation  of  blossom  buds. 
It  must  not  be  done  before  the  shoots  have  reached  a  certain  degree  of 
solidification,  else  the  buds  at  the  base  develop  growth  of  a  woody 
nature  the  same  season,  instead  of  either  remaining  dormant  or  only 
