112 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
Fruit Trees, Bush Fruits, and Grapes.—Fruit trees are 
pruned for the purpose of enabling them to produce a su- 
perior quality of fruit, the fundamental conception being to 
reduce the struggle for existence among branches so _ that 
the remainder may yield larger and finer products. Heavy 
pruning of the top during dormancy produces very vigorous 
growth, due to the same amount of root energy being con- 
centrated into a smaller top. Conversely, heavy pruning of 
roots reduces wood growth, the top receiving less water sup- 
ply from the diminished roots. Too vigorous a growth reduces 
fruitfulness and should be avoided. It is essential to know 
the fruiting habits of various fruits for intelligent pruning. 
The apple and the pear bear upon spurs, while the peac 
bears upon shoots of previous season’s growth, indicating 
that similar methods cannot be employed in the two cases. 
The entire operation usually resolves itself into a systematic, 
yearly thinning-out of weak, interfering branches, thereby 
deflecting energy into the sound limbs and at the same 
time promoting healthfulness by admitting the sun to the 
innermost parts and permitting convenient spraying and 
picking. 
In order to lay the fundamentals of a desirable head, 
young trees are pruned so as to leave 4-5 of the best 
side branches which are headed back to a few buds each. 
The leader is removed to make an open-headed tree, except 
in the case of the peach and plum, where it is left, and the 
side branches pruned to spurs of one bud each. Old, weak, 
and neglected trees may be considerably revived and renewed 
by severe pruning known as “dehorning.” The severity of 
heading-in depends largely upon the vigor of the tree, each 
branch being cut back several feet. 
_ The bearing habits of bush fruits differ widely, the va- 
rious kinds requiring individual treatment. Blackberries, 
raspberries, and dewberries bear on canes of the preceding 
year. Their pruning consists in: (1) removing superfluous 
shoots from the base of the plant, leaving 5-6 canes; (2) 
heading back the shoots Shen they are 2144-3 feet high, 
causing them to become stocky and throw out laterals; (3) 
heading back these laterals to 12-20 inches in length early 
in the spring before growth starts; (4) cutting out the canes 
soon after harvesting the fruit. 
The canes of currants and gooseberries bear several times, 
but the first two or three crops are the best. It is therefore 
desirable each year after the plants have come into bearing 
to cut one or more of the oldest canes and to encourage new 
ones. Neglecting the removal of old canes leads to pro- 
duction of small fruit, induces taller growth, and encourages 
