PRUNING, PROCESS OF. 4O2 PRUNING, PROCESS OF. 



produced twelve shoots should be pruned 

 exactly like those with eight, to form a 

 compact head. When the standard tree 

 has acquired eight or twelve main branches, 



FIG. 5. APPEARANCE OF STANDARD IN THIRD 



YEAR'S GROWTH. 



as the case may be, by these various 

 primings, it has attained its full formation, 

 as represented in Fig. 5, where the eight 

 branches have assumed a circular, cup-like 

 form. For a few years the growth of these 

 eight branches should be carefully watched, 

 and each kept as nearly as possible in an 

 equally vigorous state. Should any of 

 them take the lead of the others, so as to 

 threaten the symmetry of the tree, its ex- 

 tremity should be nipped off in such a 

 manner as to check its growth, and at the 

 winter pruning it should be shortened in 

 Considerably. All shoots from the stem 



below the grafts should be rubbed off as 

 soon as they appear. 



When the standard tree has reached its 

 bearing state, the object of the primer 

 is the production of fruit, which is best 

 attained by giving a round and cup-like 

 form to the tree. If the branches are too 

 rigorously shortened, strong useless wood 

 will be produced, without fruiting spurs. 

 If the branches are well placed, let them 

 have their free course, and they will throw 

 out bearing spurs to the extremity of 

 the branches. Little more need be said 

 on the subject, except that all unproduc- 

 tive wood, crowded sprays, and decayed 

 branches, that cross each other, should be 

 cut out, the tree kept open in the centre, 

 and the open cuplike form rigorously 

 maintained. These remarks apply chiefly 

 to apples, pears, and other trees which 

 bear their fruit on spurs. These spurs will 

 in time become long and scrubby, with 

 many branches, as in Fig. 6, in which a 

 spur is shown which has grown beyond 

 due limits. No fruit spur should be 

 allowed to grow beyond 2 inches in length, 

 and to bring back the spur in Fig. 6 to its 

 proper position, cut away neatly the upper 

 shoot at A, when the small buds d, </, will 



FIG. 6. FRUIT SPUR TOO LONG AND WITH 

 TOO MANV BRANCHES. 



push out and form blossom buds the follow- 

 ing year 



Breaking Youttj Shoots. When a tree 



