72 SUMMER PRUNING. 



of treatment. Various methods are pursued to pro- 

 duce fruitfulness, all of them depending upon the 

 fact that this condition arises from the natural habit 

 of the tree, to make its wood growth very freely for 

 a series of years, and then while the growth by 

 extension is curtailed, to take on that wonderful 

 change, by which the wood buds are transformed 

 into those that expand into flowers and produce fruit. 

 The study of these changes is called Morphology, 

 and when the tree has reached this condition it is 

 said to have arrived at its maturity." 



To bring about this change, summer pruning 

 should be resorted to, if the tree is inclined to make 

 a strong growth of young wood. It should be done 

 during the growing season, yet late enough that a 

 second growth may not start. I have found from 

 the 1st to the 20th of July the best time to perform 

 this work at Newark, !N". J. It is simply removing 

 a portion of the present year's growth, cutting or 

 pinching off from one-third to one half of the young 

 shoots. 



By changing the course of the flow of. sap from 

 the extreme ends of the branches, the leaf buds are 

 enlarged and changed into fruit spurs. "When too 

 many young shoots have started, they may be re- 

 moved without injury to the tree, in fact, it will be 

 an advantage, if they are taken out in July instead 



