EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



229 



practically all of the buds to develop; but, on the other hand, if most of 

 the buds are alive, the shoots can be cut back one half or two thirds and 

 thus about one half of the work of thinning the fruit will be saved. While 



Fig. 4.— Pruning by thinning out. 



it is best to prune before the trees blossom, the pruning can not be used 

 to thin as judiciously as when delayed until it can be determined how much 

 fruit has set. 



CROTCHES. 



If there is any rule that should be uppermost in one's mind when prun- 

 ing, it is " avoid crotches," as, whenever two branches of about equal size 

 form a fork, it can be put down as absolutely certain that in time one, or 

 both perhaps, will break down. If possible, one of the shoots should be 

 cut out while small, but if they occur in large trees it will be safer to cut 

 one of them out and head the other back, so as to cause it to send out side 

 branches, than to leave it to break down the tree. In case the pruning has 

 been improperly done and a tree divides above its trunk into two branches 

 of equal size, forming a distinct crotch, so that the symmetry would be 

 greatly injured by cutting out one of them, both can sometimes be saved 

 by clamping them together by means of a bolt, thus relieving the crotch 

 from any strain. 



