This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862 edition. Excerpt: ... vigour, such as Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, and Beurre d'Aremberg, to six inches; those that are delicate and slender in their growth, like Winter Nelis, to four inches: but I must repeat that regard must be had to the vigour of the tree. If the soil be rich, the trees vigorous, and not root-pruned, the shoots may be left the maximum length; if, on the contrary, they be root-pruned, and not inclined to vigorous growth, they must be pruned more closely. If pyramidal fruit trees, either of pears, apples, plums, or cherries, are annually or biennially removed, or even thoroughly root-pruned without actually removing them, summer pinching becomes the most simple of all operations. The cultivator has only to look over his trees twice a week during June, July, and August (penknife in hand), and cut or pinch in every shoot on the lateral or side branches that has made four leaves or more, down to three full-sized leaves. It is just possible that the three buds belonging to these three leaves will put forth three young shoots: as soon as they have made their four or five leaves, they must be shortened to two, and so on with every young shoot made during the summer, shortening the leading shoot, as before said, in August. ROOT-PRCNING OF PYRAMIDAL PEAR TREES ON QUINCE STOCKS. Before entering on the subject of root-pruning of pear trees on quince stocks, I must premise that handsome and fertile pyramids, more particularly of some free-bearing varieties, may be reared without this annual or biennial operation. I have a large plantation of pear trees on the quince stock, which have made very handsome and fertile pyramids, yet they have not been rootpruned, neither do I intend to root-prune them. But I wish to impress upon my readers that...