272 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



those that eventually push from the side shoots themselves (called sub- 

 laterals) are pinched back to one leaf, the former will develop into fruit 

 spurs that is to say, blossom buds will form upon them. Once the tree 

 is well established, keep the top well open so that sun and air may be 

 freely admitted. To attain this object, all shoots that have a tendency 

 to grow inwards or across others should be pinched, as above advised. 

 Unduly vigorous shoots also need stopping, otherwise they destroy the 

 symmetry of the tree and render the weak shoots woefully unproductive. 

 Trees with branches crowded closely together and allowed to grow in 

 all directions cannot be expected to bear a good crop of fruit. 



Pruning. The technical term pruning is applied to the annual 

 removal of certain shoots or branches, and is practised in the cultivation 

 of all fruit trees. The objects of pruning are to regulate the form and 

 size of the tree, to equalise growth by restricting unduly vigorous shoots 

 and encouraging weaker ones, to form flower-buds for the production of 



APPLE. LATERAL SHOOT, SUMMER AND WINTER PRUNING 

 (Dotted lines show place to cut) 



fruit, to admit a proper amount of light and air between the branches, 

 and remove all dead, diseased, or otherwise useless wood. 



Summer Pruning. This is certainly one of the most important 

 operations connected with the cultivation of the Apple. As before 

 mentioned, if the growing shoots are allowed to fully develop during the 

 summer, and then are pruned back to two or three eyes in winter, these 

 dormant buds or " eyes " will again most probably produce shoots the 

 following year, and the result will eventually be a tree crowded with 

 unproductive wood. If, however, these growths in the month of July 

 are pinched beyond five or six leaves flower-buds will eventually form 

 and the arrested shoot develop into a fruit spur. The object of the 

 cultivator should be to train the branches thinly, so that sun and air 

 may have free access to all parts, for this is the secret of success. 



Winter Pruning. This is not a troublesome task if the shoots were 

 pinched, as advised, during the summer. Cut these back to within 

 three or four buds of their base. All dead wood, and any that is very 



