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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



others of equal iniportaiice for future branches, the points 

 of such shoots should be pinched off, but care should be 

 taken to remove as little foliage as possible, the object be- 

 ing not to weaken, but to equalize growth. If the pinch- 

 ing and disbudding have been intelligently and systemat- 

 ically carried out there will be no necessity for using the 

 knife. If more branches are deemed necessary they can 

 be readily obtained by pinching the points of leading 

 shoots during the early stages of growth, which will cause 

 the formation of side shoots of which a selection can be 

 made and the others rubbed off. It is not well to start a 

 young tree with too many branches, as they soon become 

 crowded. 



The APPLE. — In many ways the apple is the most 

 difficult tree to prune under a general system, as its 

 varieties all differ more or less in their manner of growth, 

 some having a greater tendency to make wood than others, 

 and also the same kinds differ according to soil and 

 climate. As a general rule three branches placed as 

 equally as possible around the tree are sufficient for the 

 main framework. When these have made about 12 inches 

 of growth they should be stopped and three shoots allowed 

 to grow from them. In trees of spreading habit this 

 process may be continued longer than with one of an up- 

 right growing habit. In the latter case outside shoots 

 should always be chosen so as to leave the center open to 

 the sun and air. By choosing inner or outer buds as the 

 case may be, an upright growing tree may be made 

 more spreading and a spreading one more upright, ac- 

 cording to the desire of the grower. 



The PEAR. — Forming the head of the pear is prac- 

 tically a similar process to that of the apple. Pears do not 

 vary much in their habits of growth. Like the apple it 

 produces its fruit on spurs which develop upon wood of 

 two or more years' growth, but the pear often produces 

 fruiting spurs upon older wood than the apple. Pomol- 

 ogists of the U. S. Department of Agriculture advise that 

 fruiting spurs upon large branches of the pear be re- 

 moved before the flowers open, as the pear blight enters 

 through the flower into the branch. When a more or 

 less large branch is thus attacked the entire branch has 

 eventually to be removed and the tree greatly spoiled. 

 By confining the fruiting spurs to the smaller branches 

 their removal in the case of an attack of blight does com- 

 paratively little damage. 



The PLUM and CHERRY. —Without minimizing the 

 importance of controlling the growth of apples and pears 

 by pinching and disbudding, it is more important that the 

 plum and cherry should never be pruned with a knife, as 

 they are both very liable to gum exudation. They bear their 

 fruit upon spurs and after reaching a fruiting state make 

 comparatively little wood, and the branches may be 

 allowed to remain in greater number than is advisable in 

 the case of apples. 



Taking these four species as a whole, the main object in 

 pruning is to economize and train the growth by pinching 

 and disbudding, and not permit the extravagant waste 

 of energy, of allowing an accunnilation of yearly growths 

 to mature and then removing and throwing them away as 

 waste, as is done when all pruning is left until the trees 

 are dormant. 



The PEACH. — This tree stands in a distinct class as 

 it produces its fruit upon the young wood of the previous 

 year's growth. 



There is probably no question connected with pruning 

 upon which so many divergent opinions exist as how to 

 prune the peach. This is not to be wondered at when 

 we consider that this fruit is grown over a wider range 

 of latitude than, for instance, the apple. Also, as in the 

 case of the latter, soil conditions are often dominating 

 factors in causing difference of practice. It is apparent 



that a s)'stem which has stood the test of time upon sandy 

 soils where the tree grows slowly and produces hard 

 wood, is -not likely to be the best upon those of a heavy 

 character where the growth is rapid and the trees produce 

 an abundance of soft wood. These differences of opinion 

 have centered more around the shape of the tree and 

 heading in than anything else. I believe that the best 

 method is to have as little trunk as possible, starting the 

 main branches almost close to the ground and training 

 the tree to a vase shape, keeping the center open. This 

 will enable the first three or four crops to be picked en- 

 tirely from the ground. At the same time the tree should 

 be allowed to grow without heading in. The act of prun- 

 ing the peach can be made a fruit-thinning process. When 

 a tree has produced a thick growth of young shoots fairly 

 well covered with fruit buds one should never hesitate in 

 thinning them out. This will throw more strength into 

 the remainder and thereby produce fruit of better quality. 



The peach has the credit of being a very short-lived 

 tree, but I venture to think that its life may be consid- 

 erably prolonged by proper treatment. The primary con- 

 dition in extending its years of usefulness is keeping the 

 trunk healthy and free from borers. Then, when the 

 main branches begin to show signs of age and the tree 

 is getting too tall, cut back the old branches to short stubs, 

 thereby securing an entirely new head. This cutting back 

 should not be delayed too long as the ideal to be ainied at 

 with the peach is a continual growth of healthy young 

 wood each year. 



It may be mentioned in passing, what, after all, most 

 people are aware of, that peaches never do very well on 

 heavy clay soils : but the private gardener is generally ex- 

 pected to produce something of everything, irrespective 

 of the kind of .soil he has to deal with. In a case of this 

 kind it will be found that the peach will do much better 

 if worked upon plum stock. Also, the plum should be 

 worked upon peach stock for sandy soil, where plums are 

 generally a failure. 



XECTARLXES are little grown. They produce their 

 fruit on the same growth of wood as the peach and re- 

 quire the same treatment. 



GRAPES fruit only upon shoots which grow from the 

 wood made .during the previous year. \\'ith this fruit the 

 finger and thumb should be in constant use during the 

 whole of the growing season so as to throw all the strength 

 possible into the fruit, bearing in mind the necessity for 

 plenty of foliage to mature the fruit and of renewal of 

 canes for the following year. There are many "systems" 

 of training the grape, but the requirements in the way of 

 pruning are practically the same in them all. 



GOOSEBERRIES and RED CURRAXTS.— These 

 are always grown in bush form, as standards have never 

 been a success in this country. They produce their fruit 

 upon spurs growing from the older wood, the best being 

 usually found upon that of two years old. The branches 

 should not be less than about 7 inches apart so that they 

 can fruit all the way up, which cannot take place where 

 they are much crowded. The principal object to be aimed 

 at is as many healthy fruiting spurs as possible. To this 

 end no wood over four years old should be allowed to 

 remain and a renewal system should be followed so as 

 to have a supply of young branches to take the place of 

 the older ones from year to year. To secure this there 

 must be constant feeding and the ground is better cov- 

 ered with mulch during the summer so that the roots are 

 kept as cool as possible. BLACK CURRANTS fruit on 

 young wood of which a constant supply must be kept up 

 and to this end caimot well have too liberal treatment in 

 the way of food. Obviously, the old wood must be cut 

 awav from time to time. 



