GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



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shoots have grown from one to six inches they produce a single, 

 terminal blossom, which of course stops any further growth in 

 that direction. The pruning ought therefore to aim at keeping 

 the tree growing with reasonable vigor, and at keeping up a 

 supply of new wood. 



General Principles of Pruning. — It seems worth while to 

 notice next a very few general principles which apply with 

 greater or less force to the pruning of any tree. 



Fio. 53. FiQ. 54. 



Fig. 53. — Blossoms of the European plum. Notiro the blossoms and small or rudimentary 



leaves from each winter bud. 



Fig. 54. — Cherries just set. Notice that only one (or two) in each cluster ia developing. 



The rest will be crowded out in the struggle for existence. 



Heavy Fruning and Vigorous Growth. — The first, and by all 

 means the most important of these, is that a heavy pruning of 

 the top during the dormant season will tend to cause a very 

 vigorous wood growth the following season. This is exactly 

 what might be expected and is easily explained if one will think 

 the matter over a little. When the tree goes into the winter there 

 is normally a balance between the top and the root system. Each 



