104 LUTHER BURBANK 



deal with individual fruits. But there are a few 

 general principles applicable to the entire class 

 of fruit trees that may be briefly outlined. 



First and foremost, perhaps, is the matter of 

 cutting away the surplus growth of half dead 

 twigs and branches that a neglected tree is sure 

 to exhibit. These serve to distract the energies of 

 the tree, if the phrase be permitted, and, even 

 though they may multiply the number of fruit 

 buds, they will greatly minimize the average size 

 of the fruit itself. 



Regardless of quality, fruit trees generally 

 cannot bear to advantage unless properly 

 pruned. 



The process may best be carried out late in 

 the winter or very early in the spring. It is well, 

 as a matter of course, to make clean, sharp ampu- 

 tations, so that the bark of the limb below the 

 cut is never torn. No general rule can be given 

 as to the amount of pruning for any species, 

 much less for any individual tree. But it may 

 be taken for granted that the amateur will usu- 

 ally err on the side of pruning too little rather 

 than too much. 



Where small twigs are cut away by the prun- 

 ing shears, it is not necessary to treat the cut 

 surface ; but larger branches, requiring the use of 

 the saw, should have the cut surface covered with 



