60 PLANT GROWTH 



tomato. During the past summer all the buds except one of 

 the lowest were removed from some tomato plants, in order 

 to train them to two shoots per plant. In soil of average fer- 

 tility these plants averaged more than eight feet in height on 

 their trellis. This method encourages good fruit and it is 

 kept clean. The opposite condition of many branches is pro- 

 duced when the terminal buds are pinched to increase the 

 number and growth of the branches and the production of 

 many small flowers, as on the chrysanthemum. Most plants 

 will respond to training by pinching off the buds or young 

 branches. A study of the elm twig D (Fig. 13) will be help- 

 ful in seeing the possibilities of training in the growth of 

 trees. Upright growth would be encouraged by removing 

 the branch and the lower buds of the main stem. Lower, 

 more spreading, growth would result from the removal of 

 the top above the bud on the right and the removal of the 

 branch above its lowest bud. A hedge is pruned to increase 

 the number of branches, therefore the tips are removed, but 

 a fruit tree is thinned by removing lateral branches to en- 

 courage the growth of its main branches. Tall, slender, or 

 open plants are formed by the removal of the lateral buds, 

 and bushy plants by the removal of the terminal buds. By 

 a careful study of the position of the buds, it is possible to 

 train plants to grow into unusual shapes along a wall as the 

 French do. 



Thinning is actually a kind of pruning except that fruits 

 rather than flower buds are removed. Thus more food goes 

 to the remaining fruits and they grow larger. We usually 

 want the largest yield with the fewest fruits. The fruit is a 

 method of reproduction for the plant and therefore the sur- 

 vival of the species in the wild state depends on the number 

 of seeds instead of the number of bushels of fruit. De-flower- 

 ing or de-budding is very important in floriculture since an 

 excessive number of flower buds will limit the food to each 

 and result in small flowers. Roses are commonly de-budded. 



