FIRST LESSONS IN FRUIT GROWING— IV. 



BY PROF. H. L. HUTT, O. A. C. , GUELPH. 



Forming the Tree Top. 



-N the last lesson, we studied the struc- 

 ture of the tree trunk, and learned' 

 something- of the way in which new 

 ^^ g-rowth is added each year. 



In this lesson, we shall look into the top 

 of the tree and note some of the peculiarities 

 of the branches composing- the head. 



The formation of the head of most of our 

 fruit trees is begun in the nursery by cutting- 

 back the top of the young- tree at whatever 

 height it is desired the head should start, 

 and by lopping off also the lower branches 

 nearly to the top. Several branches are thus 

 started into rapid growth near the top, and 

 it is often left for the planter when trans- 

 planting- these trees into the orchard to thin 

 out all but three or four, which become the 

 main branches and form the frame-work of 

 the tree. 



From the main branches, which are sit- 

 uated upon the trunk, are thrown out num- 

 erous secondary branches, which subdivide 

 again into smaller branches, until a branchy 

 top is formed. 



What Determines the Shape of the Head. 



The form of the head depends largely 

 upon the habit of growth of the branches, 

 which varies greatly, not only with the 

 different species of trees, but also with the 

 varieties of any particular species. In most 

 kinds of peafs, the branches have a very 

 erect habit of growth, which naturally causes 

 them to form tall narrow heads. In apple 

 trees we see a greater tendency for the 

 branches to spread, although in a few var- 

 ieties, such as the Yellow Transparent, there 

 is a more or less upright habit of growth as 

 in the pears. The branches of the Northern 



Spy have what might be called a curved 

 erect habit, that is, they branch out some- 

 what horizontally, and then become more or 

 less erect. A horizontal habit of branching 

 may be seen in the Roxbury Russet and 

 Greening, and such trees form spreading 

 flat-topped heads. The two extremes in 

 habit of growth may be seen in the Abun- 

 dance and Burbank plums ; the former grows 

 very erect, while the latter is a sprawling, 

 horizontal grower, the branches of which 

 often become drooping from the weight of 

 crop. 



Shoots. 



Shoots are branches of one season's 

 growth. In a young vigorous growing tree, 

 the shoots annually formed are often several 

 feet in length, but as the tree becomes older 

 and its vigor diminishes, its energies are 

 turned to the production of fruit rather than 

 wood, and the new shoots are often not 

 more than a few inches in length. In Fig. 

 2260, at (a), (a). , may be seen the short shoots 

 of last year's growth in a Morello cherry. 



The long sprawling shoots in grape-vines 

 and berry-bushes, when matured, and known 

 as canes. The term sucker, or watersprout, 

 is often applied to the strong shoots which 

 make their appearance on the older branches, 

 particularly after the tree has been severely 

 pruned. Such shoots are an effort on the 

 part of Nature to restore the equilibrium 

 between top and roots which has been dis- 

 turbed by severe pruning. The term sucker 

 is more correctly applied to those shoots 

 which come up around the base of the trunk, 

 or which spring from underground stems or 

 injured roots. The tendency to sucker is 

 much more common in some species than in 



