AN UNPRODUCTIVE TREE. 69 



he will have a well-shaped and productive tree, or a 

 misshapen and unproductive one. If during the 

 first summer, one, two or three shoots should be 

 making a stronger growth than the others, pinch 

 them back with the thumb and finger. By giving 

 some attention in this way, a more uniform growth 

 will be obtained. 



On dwarfs, fruit will frequently set the fourth 

 year from the time of budding, but it is very unwise 

 to let it remain. The trees should be examined care- 

 fully, and every pear removed. By permitting 

 young trees to bear fruit, they are so likely to be- 

 come stunted, that the owner cannot be urged too 

 strongly not to sanction this dangerous practice, now 

 so common in almost every young pear orchard. 

 The question is frequently asked, "when should 

 pruning be done ? " The most appropriate answer 

 to this question is, "prune in winter for wood and 

 in summer for fruit; " in other words, to encourage 

 the growth of wood, to build up the tree, the gen- 

 eral pruning should be done during March and 

 April, or not until the continued cold weather has 

 past. If young trees are pruned in the early part 

 of winter, the ends of the shoots are often so injured 

 by severe cold weather, that the first leaf buds are 

 killed, leaving short pieces of dead wood to disfigure 

 the branches. On our own place, we begin to prune 



