PRUNING— THE SEASON 



455 



Gaucher^s recommends early summer pinching in spurs which are growing 

 out into vegetative shoots. He states this pinching usually stops further 

 growth from the terminal bud and forces out at lower points on the spur 

 lateral buds that otherwise would remain latent. These then develop 

 into branch spurs that often form fruit buds the first season. If a single 

 pinching does not result in fruit-spur and fruit-bud formation, a second 

 pinching is recommended, 



Goumy^s studied the influence of summer pinching on the subsequent 

 development of bark and wood; some of his results are summarized in 

 Table 17. Pinching obviously has led to a proportionally greater 

 development of the bark. Goumy found also some difference between the 

 relative amounts of bark and of wood in the spurs on the year old growth 

 of pinched and unpinched spurs. The determination of just what these 

 differences in relative amounts of bark and wood signify in terms of nutri- 



Table 17. — Influence of Summer Pinching on Relative Thickness of Bark 

 AND Wood in the Pinched Shoot of the Pear 



(After Goumy^^) 



tive conditions and food reserves is difficult, but presumably they favor 

 fruit-bud formation in the pinched shoots. 



However, summer pinching has been practiced frequently for the 

 purpose of promoting fruit spur and fruit-bud formation and has not 

 secured the expected response. In general it may be stated that, though 

 the practice may produce satisfactory results if followed properly by succes- 

 sive pinching of secondary and tertiary shoots, the amount and kind of 

 labor involved are such as to make it of doubtful value in the commercial 

 fruit plantation in America. When trees are grown as standards other 

 measures or practices that are available will call forth more of a mass 

 response and will provide at much less expense the requisite number of 

 fruit spurs and fruit buds. 



The early summer pinching of shoots in young trees for the purpose 

 of subordinating those that are not wanted for permanent framework is 

 only occasionally employed but is frequently to be recommended. In 



