PRUNING 87 



a much larger scale, the same precise and careful 

 methods are hardly practicable. 



It is easy to observe, however, that a condition of 

 healthy and moderate growth in a mature tree tends 

 to give the maximum fruitfulness. If the tree is 

 starved new branches are not formed, the old fruit 

 spurs soon deteriorate and crops become scant. A poor 

 tree, if choked from lack of pruning, will send up 

 many water sprouts, but these will not have strength 

 enough, nor room enough, to develop into fruiting 

 branches. On the other hand a tree which is making 

 too much growth unchecked does so at the expense of 

 fruit spurs and fruit buds. It must be remarked, how- 

 ever, that the cases wherein apple trees are injured or 

 made unfruitful by over-feeding or over-cultivation 

 are rare. The majority of mature trees bear too much 

 fruit rather than not enough; so that if heavy growth 

 tends somewhat to check fruitfulness it is commonly a 

 favorable symptom. In any case where too vigorous 

 growth seems to prevent the formation of fruiting 

 wood this tendency may be promptly checked by early 

 cessation of cultivation or by withdrawing the allow- 

 ance of nitrogenous fertilizer. 



A proper condition of growth being established in 

 the tree, the production of sound fruit spurs set with 

 vigorous fruit buds depends chiefly on an abundant 

 growth of foliage. The foliage should not only be 

 abundant, but should be vigorous, healthy, dark green. 

 Insect or fungous pests which destroy the leaves of 

 the trees thereby largely prevent the formation of fruit 

 buds. It must be remembered, however, that the fruit 

 buds are formed comparatively early in the summer 

 mostly before J^ily first so that any damage to foliage 



