DWARF FRUIT TREES 85 



growths to the trellis, cutting off unnecessary ones and pinching off side 

 shoots are the same as during the first season. As the desired shoots 

 grow into leaders the development must be kept uniform by pinching 

 the tips of any that grow too rampant. From the end of the second 

 season forward, Summer pinching and dormant pruning of Apples, 

 Pears, Cherries and Plums are the same as in the other methods 

 described. 



Peaches, Nectarines and other trees which bear their fruit buds 

 on last year's growths need a little different handling, thus: When 

 the dormant pruning is done the second Spring and each year there- 

 after the leaders must be cut back more or less to insure the growth of 

 side shoots. Most of these must be pinched back, but a few two to 

 five or six on each leader must be left to become side branches to fill 

 in spaces between the main leaders thus to make an unbroken fan. 

 They will also be needed to bear fruit buds. It is necessary to allow 

 plenty of side shoots to develop on Peaches and Nectarines, each year, 

 for old wood produces no fruit. So when an arm begins to fail in 

 fruit bearing or when the fruit buds are borne far out it must be cut 

 back severely to some point where a vigorous growing shoot may 

 be left to take its place. 



GORDONS, or branchless but "spurred" stems, are trained vertically, 

 obliquely or horizontally in single U-shaped and double U-shaped 

 forms. The upright is the simplest. The "whip" is cut to eight inches 

 and one shoot allowed to grow vertically without any check. All 

 other shoots are suppressed. Side shoots on the leader are pinched 

 back as already indicated. Should more shoots be needed than have 

 formed by early Summer they may be forced by pinching back the 

 leader tip. In the Spring the young growth of the leader must be 

 cut back 50 to 75 per cent. Similar shortening must be done each 

 Spring till the leader is nearing full size six or seven feet tall. Then 

 the cutting is made just above the lowest bud on the new growth. 

 When dormant pruning is done all unnecessary spurs and short branches 

 are cut off. 



OBLIQUE AND HORIZONTAL GORDONS are managed exactly like 

 upright ones except that they are trained and fastened in the desired 

 position while young. U and V shaped cordons are managed like 

 upright ones except that two leaders are grown instead of one. The 

 arms for the U are first trained horizontally 10 or 12 inches apart. The 

 double U form is simply two U's developed from one. 



