47 



to remove branches that have been seriously injured by insects or 

 fungi. 



Pruning to renovate Old or 

 Badly-Trained Trees. Very 



frequently trees become strag- PRUNING TO RENOVATE OLD TREES. 

 gling in growth when they get 

 old, if they have not been 

 well attended to, and it is 

 necessary to head them back. 

 By adopting this plan a fresh 

 growth can be obtained, which, 

 if properly regulated, may be 

 made to form compact, well- 

 furnished trees in a couple of 

 seasons. The extent to which 

 trees ought to be cut back for 

 this purpose will, as a matter 

 of course, depend on their con- 

 dition, and the object to be 

 attained, but, as a rule, the 

 branches should be cut back 

 freely. Sometimes trees after 

 bearing heavy crops for several 

 years do not make enough 

 growth of wood, and will be 

 improved by cutting back. 

 Trees of this class should 

 simply have their branches 

 shortened back sufficiently to 

 cause a strong young growth 

 to break. It will also some- 

 times be advisable to cut back 

 severely young trees with de- 

 formed stems, in order to 

 obtain more perfect specimens. 

 In the case of young trees this 

 practice may often be adopted 

 with advantage, and without 

 any material loss of time in 

 bringing the plants to matu- 

 rity. 



Pruning to improve the Size 

 and Quality of the Fruit. 

 When trees have a tendency 

 to bear fruit too freely, which 

 is specially the case with 



some kinds, and more particularly with old trees, it is necessary to 

 remove some of the shoots. By this means the strength of the plant 

 will be concentrated in fewer channels. This will cause the fruit to be 



Tree before Pruning. 



Tree one year after Pruning. 



