DWARF FRUIT TREES 



81 



very sharp may be used instead of the 

 knife, but it does not do quite as nice a 

 job. All pruning of leaders and spurs 

 (twigs) must be with an oblique cut 

 slightly above a sturdy bud, never with 

 a long stub (Fig. 34G). The direction of 

 growth may be somewhat modified by 

 the position of the bud up, down or to 

 right or left. 



4. Remember that leaders are 

 branches which form the tree frame- 

 work whether this consist of one or 

 many branches. These leaders must 

 grow all season without check except 

 when they are monopolizing the food 

 and preventing the growth or develop- 

 ment of spurs (side shoots for fruit 

 bearing). Leaders are pruned to de- 

 sired shortness before the buds begin 

 to swell in Spring. 



5. Whenever a restricted height 

 is to be maintained, as in all special 

 forms of dwarf-tree training, cut the 

 leaders back 25 to 50 per cent, the first 

 year or two and when the height and 

 spread approach the desired dimensions 

 cut the previous season's growth back 

 to a five or six buds. Only by such 

 cutting can the trees be kept the de- 

 sired size. Judgment is necessary in 

 this case; for where the growths are 



strong more wood and buds may be left than where they are weak. 

 Severe pruning in Winter tends to make wood since it forces all 

 the food into a smaller number of buds. Summer pruning checks 

 wood growth and favors fruit bud formation. 



THE RUSH FORM (Fig. 62). When the newly set trees are 

 "whips" they may be cut back so the highest bud left will be at the 

 height of the highest leader to be developed directly from the trunk. 

 Buds below this one will also develop branches which must be allowed 

 to grow without any cutting until the following Spring, though puny 

 and badly placed ones that would never do for leaders may be cut 

 off during the growing season, say in early June. From the balance 

 the desired number of leaders may be chosen and cut back 50 to 75 



Fig. 64. A Cordon dwarf Apple 



