PRUNING AND RENOVATION 115 



two-thirds of the annual growth. In central lati- 

 tudes, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, this 

 will mean June I to 15. In southern latitudes the 

 work will fall from two to four weeks earlier. 



The summer pruning gives an opportunity for 

 curing any defects of growth ; so the first work to 

 be given to each tree should be directed to the removal 

 of suckers, water sprouts and badly placed limbs. 

 The remaining work is of two sorts; first, the re- 

 moval of entire undesirable branches; second, the 

 heading back of well-placed branches which are to 

 be left. Both methods are extensively used. 



The removal of entire branches may be very 

 rapidly done, usually with gloved hands instead of 

 with pruning tools. This is the best opportunity 

 of all for keeping the center of the tree open. The 

 center of the tree will usually be found filling up 

 with soft, weak shoots which take more food ma- 

 terial from the growth of the tree than they return. 

 These can be broken out very rapidly and effectively 

 with the hands. 



Especially on young trees, however, the method 

 of heading back growing shoots may have consid- 

 erable value. Well-placed shoots which have made 

 a growth of 2 feet or more will be much better off 

 if the tops are broken or snipped off during this gen- 

 eral pruning. Commonly a few side buds will start 

 into growth, but the shoot will ripen up and will 

 become much stockier than if left to grow through- 

 out the season. When left without heading back, 

 a large part of the shoot has to be removed and 

 thrown away the succeeding spring. 



In theory, this summer pruning has a tendency to 

 check the superabundant growth of the tree, to en- 

 courage the formation of fruit buds and to make the 

 tree generally more fruitful. When the work is done 



