PRUNING. 



59 



Fig-. 



Stub usually throws the strongest branch. In many instances an 



otherwise dormant bud can be found to throw a strong shoot to 



fill up an open space in the top by cutting 



'■"""~^-. a notch in the main branch just above the 



bud in question. 



The method of cutting back to a bud is 

 shown in figure 15; a and b are cut too far 

 above the bud and will leave an excess of 

 dead wood to be pinched off or covered over 

 by the growing callous; c is cut too close 

 to the base of the bud, a proceeding that 

 is liable to cause the bud to be killed by 

 drying; d shows about the right position 

 for making the cut. Fig. 13, 1 and la, 

 show a properly set one-year-old tree and 

 the same tree pruned to start the head 

 about 18 inches high; in 2 this tree is 

 shown after a summer's thrifty growth, 

 while 2a shows the same tree pruned to 

 form the head; 3 suggests the growth that 

 might result the ensuing season and 3a 

 embodies some suggestions for cutting back 

 to form a desirable head. 

 It should always be borne in mind that that pruning is best 

 whicli is moderate. The severe cutting back of a tree once or 

 twice in its life-time, as is so often the practice, can scarcely 

 help but have serious results. Pruning should be done yearly 

 from the time the tree is set until it is mature; it will then 

 never be necessary to remove any great amount of wood at one 

 time. 



Espalier or Cordon. — The espalier method of training and 

 pruning is followed in Europe very largely with the apple, pear 

 and peach. It can be used there to advantage since labor is 

 cheap and land is high in price. In America skilled labor is too 

 expensive to use on this work and with our abundance of land 

 the method would be of no value except for ornamental purposes. 

 Espalier training consists of forming the tree into various gro- 

 tesque shapes, or in training it flat along the side of a building 



gram s h o w i ng 

 limbs of tree at 

 beginning of sec- 

 ond y e a r '3 

 growth; b, 

 branches pruned 

 before third 

 year's growth 

 starts. 



