IS The Bulletin 



branelies to prune. The old wood is pruned out so as to allow new 

 growth to form. The new shoots are cut back one-third to one-half, 

 and Avhere they may be too crowded, the shoots are thinned out. The 

 center of the tree should be kept open so as to admit air and sunlight, 

 which helps to produce good color and size of the fruit. Dead, dis- 

 eased, injured and interfering branches should be cut out. 



Pruning Old Peach Trees. 



If peach trees have been badly neglected by lack of pruning they 

 may be renewed by judicious cutting off or dehorning of the branches. 

 Peach trees produce new growth very readily from adventitious buds 

 on old wood. For this reason little or no harm is done by severe prun- 

 ing; and in case the buds are injured by a late frost, dehorning should 

 be resorted to, so that the trees may better be able to produce fruit 

 bearing growth for next season. 



The dehorning consists in cutting the long branches to stubs two or 

 three feet in length. These stubs will produce new shoots which will 

 bear fruit the following season. Wounds on peach trees heal very 

 quickly, but care should be taken to paint the wounds with tar creo- 

 sote paint to prevent the rotting of the heart and sap wood. Later 

 pruning will be to cut the sprouts back to one-half or one-third and to 

 thin out crowded and interfering growth, keeping the centers of the 

 trees open. 



Pruning Cherry Trees. 



Young cherry trees are started in the same way as apple trees, ex- 

 cept that not as much pruning will be necessary. The cherry tree 

 naturally forms a symmetrical head so that very little training of the 

 tree will be required. After the tree becomes older very little pruning 

 should be given. However, it may be necessary to remove just enough 

 wood to prevent branches from interfering and to cut out diseased and 

 injured parts. Large branches should not be removed because the 

 wounds on old wood do not heal very readily, so that there may be 

 danger of the wounds drying out and injuring the trees. The old wood 

 cannot be renewed by pruning like the peach, pear or apple trees be- 

 cause cherry trees do not form adventitious buds on old wood. 



Pruning Plum Trees. 



As with all fruit trees, the pruning should begin with the young 

 trees. The object of pruning young plum trees is to train the trees 

 to a low headed form with a partially open center. The Japanese 

 plums should be pruned much like peach trees; the European and 

 American plums should be pruned according to the directions given 

 for apple trees. After the trees become of bearing ago, they will need 

 very little pruning. Dead, injured and interfering brandies should 

 be removed. 



Pruning Grapes. 



The grape is the easiest of all fruit plants to prune. The principal 

 reasons for pruning tlic grape are to keep the vine in due bounds and 

 to prune for fruitfulness by cutting out all unnecessary wood growth. 



