PRUNING INCREASES VIGOR 15 



effect of this new growth, or new disposition 

 of energy, must be felt upon the root- system 

 also ; and I can conceive that it is a point for 

 discussion as to whether this stimulus and re- 

 sponse to new conditions may not be greater 

 when the pruning is somewhat heroic than when 

 it is so evenly distributed over the lifetime of 

 the tree as to be imperceptible. Growth is cer- 

 tainly more emphatic following a heroic pruning, 

 but it may not be greater in sum than that 

 which follows several prunings of equal aggre- 

 gate severity. My own observation and experi- 

 ence lead me to believe that annual pruning of 

 all fruit trees is desirable, but I am equally con- 

 vinced that it does not pay, either in cost of 

 pruning or in good to the tree, to cut out all 

 the superfluous twigs at each pruning. These 

 superfluous twigs can often be left until they 

 are two or three or even four years old with 

 advantage. Although stimulating effects may 

 result from the considerable unbalance of the 

 plant when many branches are removed, these 

 superfluous and unpruned twigs often afford a 

 very useful shelter or sun -screen to the inner 

 parts of the top, and they lessen the danger of 

 over -pruning, by which the nutrition of the tree 

 may be injured. 



I have said that pruning increases vigor. Two 

 trees of Siberian Crab were set near my house 

 in the spring of 1890. These trees are as near 



