42 



mary one is to reduce the struggle for existence among the 

 various parts of a tree so that the remaining portion may 

 produce larger and better fruits. Pruning, therefore, is a 

 thinning process, the beneficial effect of which may be read- 

 ily demonstratejd by the cu,tting out of about half the brush 

 from a neglected apple tree. The process includes the re- 

 moval of dead or diseased parts as well as of superfluous 

 living branches. 



The second recognized object of pruning is to control 

 and modify the shape of trees. Pruning, therefore, is a 

 training process. It commences when the tree is in the nur- 

 sery row and may continue throughout its life. 



Finally, pruning is practiced on account of its effect 

 upon the formation of fruit-buds and leaf-buds. ■ The phys- 

 iological processes concerned in this are not well understood, 

 but it is well loiown that pruning during the growing season 

 produces an entirely different effect from pruning during 

 the dormant season. A heavy pruning of the top during 

 the winter tends to produce wood, because the same amount 

 or root energy is concentrated on a smaller top. The prun- 

 ing of the root has the opposite effect, tending to lessen the 

 production of wood, because the same amount of top receives 

 a smaller supply of the stored up energy of the roots and a 

 smaller supply of the soil water with its plant food consti- 

 tuents. 



THE IDEAL IN PRUNING. 



In the pruning of the apple tree there are two distinct 

 styles or ideals, the central type and the open-center type, 

 each with its corps of adherents. There are many support- 

 ers of the central leader type among the western growers 

 and they claim that a tree pruned in this form makes a 

 stronger sti-ucture and is not so likely to be broken down by 

 wind and heavy crops of fruit. This is a strong argument 

 and cannot be ignored. A tree of this type, however, is in- 

 clined to grow too high and completely shuts out the light 

 from the center of the tree. 



The open-center type of tree is the one most commonly 



