HOME FRUIT GROWER 



ful ! Do it intelligently. 

 When few or no water 

 sprouts are available fairly 

 low down cut the upper 

 parts back severely so as 

 to force new growths of 

 water sprouts. Rut avoid 

 making one big cut to 

 accomplish this result. 

 Remove many small 

 branches instead. 



When the top is high 

 and thin, but when there 

 are good well-placed water 

 sprouts, low down, a much 



Fig. 49. Ordinary heavy 



pruning knife and one with 



removable blades 



Fig. 48. New branches developed by "dehorned" 

 Peach tree 



larger amount of wood perhaps even large 

 branches may be cut out. 



Trees with fairly good but too high 

 tops should be lowered gradually during 

 three to five years so as not to upset the 

 bearing habit but at the same time to de- 

 velop lower heads. (Fig. 45.) 



Often Winter injured Peach trees may 

 be saved by severely cutting back the 

 tops and thus concentrating the available 

 food. Also old, tall and widely spread- 

 ing ones may be rejuvenated by dehorning 

 (Fig. 48). 



Except where cuts are more than two 

 inches in diameter, painting the wounds will 

 be unnecessary as healing will be quick. 

 For large wounds pure white lead in pure 

 linseed oil is generally recommended, but 

 creosote properly applied is probably better, 

 since it is antiseptic and more lasting in its 

 effects. It positively must not be allowed to 

 touch the young wood or the young bark. The 

 only safe part to touch is the heart wood, 

 but even this must not be too liberally 

 creosoted. The brush must be "wrung out" 

 so there will be no drop to ooze down upon 

 the growing parts just a thin, thin covering 

 over the heart wood. It will soak in and 



