PRUNING AND TRAINING. 115 



allowed to grow, soon form a heavy top. By continuing 

 to pinch off the extremities of the branches that are push- 

 ing upward, the lateral branches can thus be induced to 

 spread out in a direction to make a low-topped tree. Be- 

 fore young tillers of the soil can be expected to understand 

 why, when, and how to prune a fruit-tree correctly, they 

 must read and think, and think and read, and make inquiry 

 and observations on this subject for years. 



Why we Prune. We prune trees and vines to promote 

 fruitful ness, to prevent the production of much small fruit, 

 to produce fairer and larger fruit, and to make trees grow 

 of a more desirable form and symmetry. At one time, we 

 prune or pinch to induce a tree-top to spread out broader 

 and to produce a lower top. At another time, we want the 

 branches to push upward rather than laterally. Sometimes 

 Nature sends out several rival shoots, all of which can not 

 be fully developed ; or, if they could, it would not be desira- 

 ble to allow so many to grow. Hence a part must be cut 

 away. When trees and vines are permitted to grow with- 

 out pruning, it frequently occurs that four branches are 

 formed where there should be only one. Hence, after a few 

 years, one or more of these branches must fail and decay. 

 To appearance, Nature made a mistake in starting too many 

 branches. Hence she must divert all the sap into one or 

 two, and dispose of the supernumerary ones as best she 

 may. Nature does a vast amount of pruning, both in fruit- 

 trees and in the forest. Branches are often allowed to de- 

 cay and drop off the parent stem, because they were not 

 needed. But such a mode of pruning is far from being 

 scientific and artistic. And yet, it is the only way that 

 Nature can perform this important operation. Hence we 

 prune to aid Nature in performing her task as perfectly as 

 possible. But pruning trees and vines is an operation re- 

 quiring the skill of the primer in connection with the efforts 



