IQiS 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 21 



pruner should be able to judge by the 

 amount and character of the wood 

 growth and fruit buds just what treat- 

 ment the tree requires to give it the 

 right fruiting balance. 



In removing wood many pruners 

 make the mistake of cutting back each 

 year a portion of the current year's 



growth, their idea being to keep the 

 tree within profitable reach. There is 

 a better way to accomplish this with- 

 out the evii effects. It is the upper 

 buds on a shoot that are stronger and 

 more capable of producing fruit spurs. 

 In removing the upper two-thirds the 

 best buds are thrown away and the in- 



ferior ones retained. Further, it will 

 be noticed that each cut will result in 

 two or three shoots, causing a blanket 

 etl'ect over the top of the tree to shade 

 and choke the more valuable lower 

 fruiting wood. \ better way to keep 

 the tree low and open is to thin out, 

 cutting the taller branches to lower 



