82 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The cuts, as indicated, are made very close to the main limbs. These 

 branches are of a size easily handled with a shears but it is best to make 

 the cuts with a saw in order that they may be as close as possible to the 

 main limb. The closer the cuts the quicker they will heal, with corre- 

 spondingly less likelihood of infection by the wood-rot fungus. In 

 making cuts, the matter of healing should always be considered according 

 to the following points. 



When a lateral is removed from the underside of a limb the cut will 

 heal quicker than the same sized cut on the upper side of the limb ; illus- 

 trated by D and D 1 (Fig. 20b). Cuts made at forks where the limbs are 

 lit' equal value are slow healers especially where the cuts are on the upper 

 side as at (b 1 ). This is one of the reasons for making the cut at {b 1 ) 

 while the limbs are still small. The small cuts on a young tree will 

 usually heal without any special attention or treatment, but even here 

 it may pay to treat them as described later. 



Fig. 21a. Diagram of a limb from an older tree, showing an excess of 

 lateral growth. (Original.) 



The same general method should be pursued from year to year, and 

 if consistently followed will develop a tree from which no large limbs 

 will have to be removed. The tree will be open and the main limbs 

 covered with fruit spurs which have been developed from water sprouts. 

 Before leaving the subject of pruning young trees it is well to state that 

 much can be done by summer pruning or nipping. In this way unde- 

 sirable growth can be prevented, and the entire growth directed as 

 desired. 



The height of the trunk is also a matter to consider. The question of 

 low or high headed trees is so involved that the writer prefers not to 

 take a decided stand. It appears to me that the advantages in each 

 ease are largely offset by corresponding disadvantages. One thing is 

 certain, that is, a high headed tree can more easily be converted into 



