H O 11 T I C U L T U R E [PRUNING. which it is tied down in its proper place during the summer by a small twig. The upper shoots are cut closer in. Near the base of the stem are two prominent buds, which would produce two vigorous shoots, but these would be too near the ground, and the buds should therefore be suppressed ; but, to strengthen the lower part, the weaker buds just above and below the lowest branch should be forced into growth, by making a transverse incision close above each. Fig. 67, b shows what a similar tree would be at the end of the third year s growth. In order to bring a young tree into the cordon shape, all its side branches are shortened back, either to form perma nent spurs, as in the case of pears, or to yield annual young shoots, as in peaches and nectarines. The single-stemmed cordon may be trained horizontally, obliquely at any re quired angle, or vertically if required, the first two arrange ments being preferable. If a double cordon is required, the original young stem must be headed back, and the two best shoots produced must be selected, trained right and left, and treated as for the single cordon. The forms chiefly adopted for trees trained to walls and espalier rails are the fan-shaped, the half-fan, and the hori zontal, with their various modifications. Of late years the close pruning of the young trees has been objected to, and the "extension system" has, in many cases, been adopted. The maiden tree is headed down, and two shoots led away right and left. Two laterals should be allowed to grow from the upper side of them, one from near the base, the other from near the middle, all others being pinched out beyond the second or third leaf during summer, but cut away to the last bud in winter. The tree will thus consist of six shoots, probably 3 feet to 4 feet long, which are not to be pruned unless they are unequal in strength, a defect which is rather to be remedied by summer pinching than by winter prun ing. The second year three young shoots are to be left on each of the six, one close to the base, one about the middle, and one at the point, the rest being rubbed off. These three shoots will produce laterals, of which one or two may be selected and laid in ; and thus a number of moderately strong fertile shoots will be obtained, and at the end of the season a comparatively large tree will be the result.
FIG. 68. Pruning for FIG. 69. The same
Fan-Shaped Tree. third year.
The method of pruning formerly adopted for the forma
tion of a fan-shaped tree was to head down the maiden
plant to about two eyes, so placed as to yield a young
shoot on each side (fig. 68), the supernumerary shoots
being rubbed off while quite young, and the reserved
shoots trained against the wall during the summer so as to
get them well matured. The next year they were cut back
again, often nearly to the base, in order that the lower
pair of these shoots might each produce two well placed
young shoots, and the upper pair three young shoots. The
tree would thus consist of ten shoots, to be laid out at
regular distances, and then if closely cut the skeleton of
the tree would be as in fig. G9. These main shoots were
not again to be shortened back, but from each of them
three young shoots were to be selected and trained in two,
on the upper side, one near the base, and the other half
way up, and one on the lower side placed about midway
between these two ; these with the leading shoot, which
was also to be nailed in, made four branches of the current
year from each of the ten main branches, and the form of
the tree would therefore be that of fig. 70. The other
young shoots produced were pinched off while quite young,
to throw all the strength of the tree into those which were
to form its basis, and to secure abundant light and air. In
after years the leading shoot was not to be cut back, but all
FIG. 70. The same fourth year.
the lateral shoots were to be shortened, and from these year
by year other shoots were to be selected to fill up the area
occupied by the tree.
In pruning for a horizontal tree the young maiden tree
has to be headed back nearly to its base, and from the
young shoots three are to be selected, the two best placed
lower ones to form an opposite or nearly opposite pair of
main branches, and the best placed upper one to continue
the erect stem (fig. 71). This upper shoot is at the next
winter pruning to be cut down to within about a foot of the
"^^.-j f *~* ~*~
FIG. 71. Pruning for Fio. 72. The same
Horizontally-Trained Tree. third year.
point whence it sprung, and its buds rubbed off except the
upper one for a leader, and one on each side just below it
to furnish another pair of side shoots ; these being trained
in position, the tree would appear as in fig. 72. The same
course is to be followed annually till the space is filled.
Sometimes in very favourable soils and with vigorous trees
two pairs of branches may be obtained in one season by
summer-stopping the erect shoots and selecting others from
the young growths thus induced, but more commonly the
trees have to be built up by forming one pair of branches
FIG. 73. The same fifth year.
annually. The shoots are not at first lowered to the hori
zontal line, but are brought down gradually ; and while the
tree is being formed weak shoots may be allowed to grow
in a more erect position than it is ultimately intended they
should occupy. Thus in four or five years the tree will
have acquired something the character of fig. 73, and will
go on thus increasing until the space is filled.
