90 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



habit is to produce numerous side shoots rather than strong, upright 

 ones. (F. B. 181.) 



PRUNING SUMMARY. 



(a) Trees may be left until after they are set out before pruning 

 except that they may sometimes, with advantage, be pruned at the 

 nursery to save freight. 



(6) Severe pruning is often needed for young trees, since 

 much depends upon the proper forming of the head of the tree at 

 this time. 



(c) No pruning point is more important than that of deciding 

 at what height the trees shall branch out. This will depend very 

 much on location. 



(d) In New England, where the climate is comparatively cool, 

 trees with long trunks are in favor as tending to facilitate cultiva- 

 tion. In the Middle and Pacific Coast States the best results have 

 come from allowing the branches to start within 2 feet or even closer 

 to the ground and thus the trunk is protected against sunscald. 



In orchard practice trees are pruned 



(a) To remove all dead or decaying branches or branches 

 which rub against each other. 



(6) To shorten the annual growth for the purpose of making 

 the tree more compact, better able to carry a load of fruit without 

 breaking, more easy to cultivate, spray, and harvest the fruit. 



(c) As a means of thinning fruit to secure increased size and 

 quality. 



( d) To rejuvenate old or weak trees. 



(e) To control certain diseases, like pear blight. 



(/) To make the trees more shapely or to train them into some 

 special form. 



Trees are sometimes root-pruned to check a too rank, vigorous 

 wood growth, and thus throw them into bearing. Ringing a branch 

 or trunk has a like effect. It is most frequently practiced with 

 grapes to secure a larger earlier fruit. 



Some of the more essential points to be remembered in pruning 

 are: 



(a) To cut all large branches close to the trunk from which 

 they spring and parallel with it. Where only the annual growth is 

 removed the cut should be immediately above a bud. 



(6) To prevent decay the cut should be made smooth and 

 painted with some such material as lead paint, grafting wax, etc. 



(c) To prevent splitting of the trunk the branches should be 

 trained out at different heights around the trunk and acute crotches 

 avoided. 



(d) Severe top pruning has a stimulating effect, resulting in a 

 vigorous growth of new shoots and is most useful in rejuvenating an 

 old orchard. 



(e) Severely winter-injured trees should be only mildly pruned. 

 If the fruit buds only are killed the pruning may be more severe. 



(/) Wounds heal over best if the pruning is done during the 

 growing season, but for convenience sake and also to prevent bleeding 



