ipi6 



principles, it would seem that one of 

 the first things to observe before prun- 

 ing a tree is whether or not it already 

 possesses a fairly good balance be- 

 tween vegetative growth and fruit pro- 

 duction. If it possesses this balance it 

 should be maintained. This would 

 probably mean a moderate heading 

 back of some of the new shoots, espe- 

 cially the more wayward ones, with 

 the idea of maintaining and developing 

 the shape of the tree and mildly stim- 

 ulating vegetative growth. It would 

 also mean a moderate thinning out to 

 encourage the develoi)ment of a rea- 

 sonable number of fruit-spurs, and to 

 afl'ord conditions favorable to the long 

 life and regular bearing of those al- 

 ready formed. If the tree has been 

 growing too vigorously; if it possesses 

 a large number of strong shoots; if it 

 has been producing many watersprouts; 

 if its fruit-spurs are few in number and 

 irregular in bearing, the practice in 

 pruning should be such as will develop 

 new fruit-producing machinery — fruit- 

 spurs — and invigorate and strengthen 

 that already in its possession. This 

 probably means very little heading 

 back and only a light thinning out the 

 first season. This treatment would 

 stimulate the development of a large 

 number of new spurs and could be fol- 

 lowed one or two years later with a 

 somewhat heavier thinning of branches, 

 to strengthen and invigorate the older 

 spurs. Many would object to this 

 method of treating over-vigorous trees, 

 fearing that if they were not to head 

 back the shoots generally it would re- 

 sult in their growing "beyond bounds," 

 or becoming "rangy." It is believed, 

 nevertheless, that it is the most certain 

 method of correcting the over-vigorous 

 condition of many fruit trees. A year 

 or two later, when the tree has become 

 fruitful, its top can be gradually 

 brought "within bounds." The willowy 

 or pole-like character of some of its 

 branches can be corrected by heading 

 some of them back severely, cutting 

 into two or even three-year-old wood. 

 It would probably be a mistake to cut 

 back a large proportion of the branches 

 in any one year thus severely, but if 

 the practice is extended over several 

 years it is reasonable to believe that 

 little injury would follow. 



On tlie other hand, if the tree shows 

 evidence of continued neglect, if it jios- 

 sesses large numbers of old hut irregu- 

 lar-bearing fruit-spurs; if it has been 

 making ver\- little shoot giowth, prun- 

 ing should be such as to stinndate vege- 

 tative processes. Thinning out in this 

 case will take the form of removing 

 old branches with their fruit-spurs so 

 as to divert a larger amount of food 

 material into those remaining, and also 

 into new shoot growth. It will also 

 be desirable to head back the remain- 

 ing limbs and shoots more or less 

 severely so as to stinnilate still further 

 vegetative activities of the tree. That 

 heading back alone will not prove a 

 corrective for trees of the type ,jusl 

 described is well illustrated by l-"igure 

 48, showing a tree upon which the ex- 

 pei-iment was tried. The spurs that 

 iiave since formed upon the new 



BETTER FRUIT 



growth are strong and vigorous, but 

 apparently the new growth drew so 

 heavily upon the energies of the tree 

 and shaded so completely the old spurs 

 lower down in it that the latter have 

 profited very little by the treatment. 



Page 



II 



The fact is, it is dillicidt to conceive 

 of trees of l)earing age in which it 

 would be desirable to stimulate fruit 

 production alone and absolutely check 

 vegetative growth, or, conversely, to 

 stimulate vegetative growth alone and 



KiGURn 50 — An old, rauch-branclied fruit spur in an Kalian prune tree. Note 

 tiiat some of its branches are dead; the living ones are slender and lacking 

 in vigor. There are present only a few fruit buds and these arc near the 

 ends of the branches. It is probably only a matter of a short time before 

 the whole spur will die. Its present condition is the result of too much 

 shading by the branches above it 



ruuBK 51 — .\n old Italian prune tree whose top has been kept thinned out 



fairly well. Note llie presence of small fruiting branches well down on llu- 



scaffold limbs as a result. Note also that a large ixulion of the fruil spuis 



and small fruiting limbs in this tree arc stocky and vigorous 



