238 



The Principles of Fruit-growing 



Heading-in. 



The question of heading-in of trees is commonly mis- 

 understood, and there are likely to be many opinions. It 

 is a special practice. Two considerations may help the 

 grower think out the problem for himself. 



In the first place, it is largely a question of the type 

 of training that the grower prefers; that is, every good 



. 84. A peach tree, at bearing age, but with a bad crotch. 



fruit-grower will set before himself a certain conception 

 as to form of tree, and he will bend all his energies uni- 

 formly and consecutively to the working out of this idea 

 throughout all the years of the plantation. If his ideal is 

 for trees with round and dense heads, then he will, of 

 course, head-in the stock from year to year; if, however, 

 he sets for himself the ideal of a tree with the natural 

 form and open head, he will not head-in, as a rule. Which- 

 ever purpose the grower sets should be worked out sys- 



