Pruning Peach Trees 179 



severe cutting back of the branches, tends to stimulate wood 

 growth. It follows, therefore, that the best results can be 

 secured only when the person doing the work takes into ac- 

 count the growth characteristics of the variety, or of the 

 individual tree. A strong, vigorous-growing tree ordinarily 

 should not be pruned as severely, so far as the control of the 

 growth is concerned, as a weak-growing tree. Heavy prun- 

 ing of the latter type of tree tends to induce a more vigorous 

 growth of branches. 



In the making of wounds in pruning, as in removing limbs, 

 great care should be exercised that no stubs are left. \Miere 

 a smaller branch is removed from a larger, the cut should be 

 made as close to the larger one as possible and parallel with It, 

 rather than at right angles to the limb severed. The latter 

 results in a smaller wound but it leaves a short stub on one 

 side of the wound that will not heal as readily as will the 

 larger wound when made as stated above. In heading back 

 limbs into wood more than a year old, they should be cut 

 back to a side branch. Otherwise, if severed at a point be- 

 tween side branches, a stub remains which would never heal 

 over, but it would die back to the next side branch and even- 

 tually decay. 



Wounds so large that they w^ill not heal over in one season 

 may well be covered with a good white lead paint to protect 

 them against weather-cracking and the entrance of moisture. 

 But when an orchard is regularly and properly pruned, few^ 

 large wounds that require painting will be made. 



Obviously the pruning which a tree receives during the 

 first two or three years after it is planted greatly influences 

 its future. ]\IIstakes in forming the head or the results of 

 neglect during the early years In the life of a tree are prac- 

 tically irreparable. On the other hand, if a tree is well 



