DWARF FRUIT TREES 



79 



wood which must be allowed to develop without any pinching so 

 as to secure the maximum sap efficiency and healthful development. 

 Only when a leader makes such prodigious growth that it monopolizes 

 the food and energy that should go to the development of sideshoots 

 only then should it be cut during the growing season, preferably 

 between mid and late June. Even then only a few inches of the growing 

 tip should be removed. 



Side shoots should then develop because they would get their 

 fair share of food. Those that develop upon the leaders must always 

 be pinched back during the growing season during June and July, 

 sometimes August to develop fruit buds. The proper time to pinch 

 shoots is when they have developed about six leaves. The amount 

 to remove ? All but three leaves. When other shoots develop on the 

 pinched ones, pinch them 

 back to two leaves as soon 

 as three have formed. 

 This is a regular annual 

 process. It induces the 

 formation of fruit spurs, 

 fruit buds and fruit. 

 When a main branch is 

 allowed to rebranch and 

 form a second branch 

 each of these branches 

 may be considered as a 

 leader and so treated. 



Should too many 

 spurs form on the leaders, 

 the superfluous ones al- 

 ways the poorest or least 

 favorably placed should 

 be removed when the 

 dormant spraying is done. 

 At that time cut back the 

 annual growth of the 

 leaders on young trees 50 

 to 75 per cent.; on old 

 trees, or those which have 

 about reached the desired 

 size, cut back all but a 

 few inches of the young 



growths on the leaders, r- AO n c ri. - * 



f . rig. 62. JDwarf Cherries begin to bear while very 



leaving only two or three you ng 



