Principles and Practice of Pruning. 91 



will become easy to any one who has attended to these directions 

 thus far observing the same principles, thinning out or cutting 

 back any secondary or other branches, as shall seem necessary to 

 admit light and air, or give vigor or symmetry of form to the tree ; 

 but as the greatest force of sap will flow to the central and upright 

 branches, they will need to be cut back most, retaining as near as 

 may be the pyramidal form ; ever bearing in mind this fact, that no 

 one prunes too much ; and, after having pruned well and gathered 

 rich harvests of luscious pears, if you still wish to grow them larger 

 and better than ever before, prune a little closer, and that result will 

 certainly be attained ; and the vigor, beauty, and longevity of your 

 trees will be increased thereby." 



Throughout the whole process of pruning and training pyramids, 

 as well as every other tree, the frequent error of allowing the shoots 

 and branches to become too thick and to crowd each other, should 

 be carefully avoided. The size and beauty of the fruit, and its per- 

 fection in richness and flavor, where there is plenty o room for the 

 full, vigorous, and healthy development of the LEAVES which supply 

 the material for the growing fruit, will repay well the labor required 

 for this excellent result. 



Dwarf apples (on paradise stocks) are usually trained to a round 

 and rather spreading open head, the 

 same principles to be applied as in form- 

 ing dwarf-pears, with the exception of 

 the form given to them, and being more 

 dwarfish in growth, less shortening of 

 the shoots is required (Fig. 120). 



Small, slow growing varieties, as the 

 Melon, Early Joe, Red Canada, Hawley, 

 Jonathan, Ladies' Sweet, Summer Pear- 

 main, Dyer, Lady Apple, and Lowell, 

 may be pruned into pyramids and kept 

 small, so as to stand not further than ten 

 feet apart. Thriftier varieties, on Dou- 

 cain stock, may be treated in the same 

 way. 



The Cherry and Plum may be pruned 

 in the form of pyramids on the same 

 principles as the apple and pear. The Morello and Duke cherries 

 may be treated either as pyramids or as smaller, rounded, open- 

 headed dwarfs. 



Priming Apple-Orchards in bearing. The mode of pruning old 



Fig. 120. Dwarf Apple. 



