114 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



May, 1912 



Fig. 1— This Shows How Roots Are Cut at Digging Tim* 



Branches should be arranged about the 

 main stem or axis of the tree, so that 

 eventually they may occupy the whole 

 space and provide for its symmetrical 

 development. If three branches are want- 

 ed they should be so arranged that, if 

 looking down from the top, these 

 branches would form three angles very 

 similar to each other. More than that 

 these branches should arise one above the 

 other. Such a tree is not liable to in- 

 jury from snow or wind ; and the union 

 between branch and stem is more stable 

 when arising one above the other, than 

 it would be if all branches arose from the 

 same place. By referring to figure two 

 all this will be clear. By cutting the 

 leader, near the topmost branch, we at 

 once provide for an open centre and start 

 the tree off according to our ideal. 



It may be regarded as a rule that when 



a limb is cut back, unless the cut is made 

 just above a strong lateral, two or more 

 branches will develop into shoots. Two 

 or three of these shoots are allowed to 

 grow on each of the previous year's limbs 

 to form an additional framework for the 

 tree. These shoots should be selected as 

 before, one near the end and the other 

 two farther back, so that the development 

 of crotches will be impossible. These 

 shoots are again shortened as in figure 

 three, and not more than two allowed to 

 develop from each the next year. 



THE FEAMEWORK 



The framework of the tree should now 

 be well formed and will require less at- 

 tention from this time on. Keep in mind 

 your open centre. Take out all branches 

 which would interfere with your plan. 

 Remove all .surplus branches and all 

 which rub, cross, or tend to form crot- 

 ches. The reason for all this is quite 

 evident upon a moment's reflection. The 

 tree is not concerned with the production 

 of fruit, but with the reproduction of the 



Fig. 2— The Tree at Planting Time 



Fig. 3— Plan of Tree After One Year's Growth. 



species. It is this towards which plants 

 bend their every endeavor. The size and 

 quality of the fruit are of no moment, but 

 the number of seeds is of great import- 

 ance from the standpoint of the tree. 

 15earing this in mind we see why two 

 apples are borne on a branch where there 

 should be one from the grower's view- 

 point, and why both are small and un- 

 marketable. 



To get first-class fruit it is often neces- 

 sary to thin, but the process is slow and 

 costly. We are beginning to find that it 

 pays better to thin the tree and the fruit 

 often takes care of itself. When branches 

 rub each other canker like swellings are 

 often produced, and the inner tissue al- 

 ways laid open to the entrance of spores 

 of plant disease. 



Fig. 4 — 'A' Shows the Correct Way of Cutting Off a 

 Shoot and 'B,' 'C and 'D' Wrong Ways. 



If the pruning involves the removal of 

 annual growth the branches should bo 

 cut just above a bud. If this is done the 

 wound heals readily without paint or 

 covering of any kind. If made below a 

 bud the stub dies back to the bud — un- 

 sightly to say the least — and provides a 

 means of access for various fungoid 

 pests. Figui-e four shows how the shoots 

 should be cut. 



RE.MOVINa LARGE BRANCHES 



If growers have exercised the care out- 

 lined, the removal of large branches is 

 seldom necessary. It is not reasonable 

 to expect that this will always be done, 

 so that the removal of large branches is a 

 problem which always confronts the 

 grower. I know of one grower who al- 

 ways cuts these large fellows about one 

 foot from, the main stem. He found 

 these convenient in climbing the trees, 

 he said, as it obviated the necessity of 

 a step ladder. These leafless and branch- 

 less stumps have no life in themselves. 

 The only chance for this stub to be healed 

 in is from the activities of the trunk and 

 this is so far removed from the end of the 

 stump that the healing is seldom witness- 

 ed by the man who made the wound. 

 Neither should the cut be made at right 

 angles to the branch, but should conform 

 to the tree trunk. The wound is thus 

 larger, but all parts are in intimate re- 

 lation with the trunk which supplies the 



Improper Pnuing. A Long Stab 



