THE QtJIHOE. 67 



At a (fig. 45) are triple buds at a favorable age to easily 

 rub off supernumeraries. At b they are so far developed 

 as to need the knife to cut off the extras. At c we have 

 the vigorous shoots growing as desired. 



How much to cut back each year is a matter of judg- 

 ment. In a shoot from one to two feet long, cut back 

 about half the length. A growth of three to five feet 

 may be reduced a little more than one-half. Treated in 

 this way, the tree pushes vigorous side shoots, and makes 

 a lower head, which is less affected by winds, is more 

 convenient to keep in order, the fruit is easily gathered, 

 and however heavy the crop, the branches are so stocky 

 they never break. If a cone-shaped head is desired (and 

 this is the ideal form of many), it can be secured by 

 leaving the lower branches longest. The natural flow 

 of sap to the upper branches will be diminished, and 

 increased in the lower, and thus their growth will be 

 proportionally increased. If the branches are nearer 

 than four to six inches, cut out those worst situated, or 

 least likely to be fruitful. A judicious thinning and 

 shortening of crowded and irregular branches will promote 

 both thrift and fruitfulness. When a shoot pushes so 

 strongly as to attract to itself too much of the nutriment 

 of the tree, pinch off the end, and repeat the operation 

 till its buds push like those on the other shoots, till, by 

 compelling an equal distribution of nutriment, all shoots 

 grow in like proportions, if not equally. 



3. PRUNING TO PROMOTE GROWTH. When a stunted 

 tree is cut back judiciously, the remaining buds may be 

 expected to grow with renewed vigor, because the forces 

 of growth are concentrated on a smaller number of buds. 

 The inner bark of a feeble tree is thinner, and the sap 

 vessels smaller ; the more concentrated growth thickens 

 the bark and enlarges the sap vessels; and so there is a more 

 ready flow of all the nourishing fluids, and a consequent 

 increase of growth. In the laboratory of the leaves the 



