82 Principles and Practice of Pruning. 



the ordinary course of nature, though sometimes useful, should be 

 cautiously applied, as the first crop gives still another check, and 

 often materially injures the tree and the quality of its subsequent 

 crops. 



Summer Pruning. Another and an unobjectionable mode of 

 attaining the same end, is summer pruning, which is effected by pinch- 

 ing off the soft ends of the side-shoots after they have made a few 

 inches -growth. In these the sap immediately accumulates, and the 

 young buds upon the remainder of these shoots, which otherwise 

 would produce leaves, are gradually changed into fruit-buds. To 

 prevent the breaking of these buds into new shoots by too. great an 

 accumulation of the sap, a partial outlet is left for its 

 escape through the leading shoot of the branch, 

 which at the same time is effecting the desired en- 

 largement of the tree. In the annexed figure (Fig. 

 99), a branch is represented with its side-shoots thus 

 undergoing conversion into fruit-spurs, the dotted 

 lines showing the position which these shoots would 

 have taken if left unpinched. 



It will be seen that two great objects are here at- 

 tained the fruitfulness of the tree, and the increased 

 vigor of the leading-shoot, by directing the surplus 

 sap to its growth. 



This constitutes essentially the art of summer 

 pruning dwarf and pyramidal trees, more especially 

 the pear and apple. It may be applied with advantage to young 

 standards, to produce early fruitfulness. 



It often happens, and especially when the pinching is done too 

 early, that the new buds send out shoots a second time the same 

 season. When this occurs, these second shoots are to be pinched 

 in the same manner as the first, but shorter; and third ones, 

 should they start, are to be similarly treated. The bruising given 

 by pinching off with the thumb and finger, is more apt to prevent 

 this result than clipping with a sharp knife. 



Giving Desired Form to Trees by Pruning. A tree may be 

 moulded into almost any desired shape by a proper use of the knife, 

 or even by the rubbing and pinching process.* If a young tree 

 from the nursery is too tall and slender, or has too high a top, it 



* A late writer says : " The finest standard pear-trees we ever saw, had never had a 

 knife or saw about them. The thumb and forefinger had only been used. Rub off all 

 unnecessary buds that grow in a tree and remove as they appear. This keeps the tree 

 clean, and the growth in the proper channels. It is easily done." 



