262 [ THE APPLE TREE 



keeps them well open and at regular distances from 

 each other, until the young wood has hardened, and 

 the shape is afterwards kept up by careful pruning in 

 winter and trimming in spring. Grown-up bushes may 

 be trained into the vase-shape, roughly but quite 

 effectively, by the removal of the inner branches in 

 winter, at the same time trimming back the sides to 

 shape. This operation may result in the loss for the 

 first year of a few flower buds along with the wood, 

 but it will be found that the total production of 

 that year is hardly affected and the fruit will be of 

 better quality. Moreover, the beneficial results will be 

 permanent if the grower is careful to keep up the shape 

 of the tree by proper attention in winter. 



PRUNING AND TRIMMING. The operation of pruning 

 is done in winter from November to February, and 

 should be attended to every year or at least every 

 two years, and the occasion may be availed of for 

 the treatment of parasitic diseases if necessary. In a 

 well kept orchard which is pruned regularly, there 

 will be little to do in the way of pruning, beyond 

 cutting back any drooping branches, and the branches 

 which form within the tree, which if allowed to grow 

 will draw upon the strength and resources of the tree, 

 and will obstruct the full action of light and air. The 

 twigs should be thinned out rather severely, as a dense 

 growth of foliage is more injurious to the fruit of the 

 apple than to that of the pear ; at the same time 

 vase-shaped trees should be trimmed to shape by 

 removing any side growths which may have formed 

 during the course of summer. The removal of large 

 branches should be avoided, but if indispensable should 

 be done cleanly and carefully according to the general 

 rules of pruning. Suckers may be removed at any 

 time of the year, and the sooner the better, but if 

 required for propagation may be removed in winter 

 and are first separated by a clean cut from the mother 



