326 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



nature of the tree or shrub being pruned, and the result 

 you are after. As a general rule, the danger is that you 

 will do too little rather than too much pruning. When in 

 doubt cut it off! 



The amount of winter pruning that should be done on 

 your fruit trees depends upon their age and previous treat- 

 ment. Newly planted apple, pear, peach and cherry trees 

 will require very little pruning if they were properly cut 

 back when planted. From those that have been planted 

 several years superfluous crossing limbs should be cut, 

 and lateral growth, which will tend to form spreading, 

 open heads, should be encouraged. Peach trees in bearing 

 should be cut back severely. Old trees, especially apple 

 trees, may be cut back very severely to advantage, but it 

 is best to spread the pruning over two or three seasons 

 unless a fair amount of good, live wood can be left to prevent 

 too severe checking of growth. 



Remaking an Old Apple Tree 



Illustrations Number 28 and 29 show a middle-aged 

 apple tree that had grown practically no good fruit for 

 a number of years. It bore well the first year after prun- 

 ing and spraying and has since come back very satis- 

 factorily. In cases of this kind some of the larger sprouts 

 or small, new, upright limbs are left to develop into new 

 wood; then after these have had two or three seasons' 

 growth more of the older wood may be cut away. Prac- 

 tically any old apple tree that is not entirely gone at the 

 heart can be saved and with a few years' care made to pro- 

 duce excellent fruit. 



In all pruning of old trees try to re-form the tree as near 

 >the ground as possible, in order to facilitate spraying and 

 picking of the fruit. Old trees that are up in the air alto- 

 gether can be brought back into captivity only by " dehorn- 

 ing." This process leaves nothing but the main trunk and 

 the stubs of the main branches, the idea being to form 

 practically an entirely new head upon this skeleton. Gen- 



