174 THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



it may be said that they are made in the bark with a knife 

 in simple notch form, or like a half -moon. As to the notch 

 in the wood, the simple notch is used, also a gable -like 

 cut. The latter seems to have a slightly increased effect. 

 In place of the notches, in wood of a greater age than six 

 years, carefully made simple saw cuts, perpendicular to 

 the axis of the spur, or roof -like in form above or below 

 the organs to be influenced aggregations of buds, twigs or 

 branches are more desirable, as notches generally cause 

 too large wounds if they are to enter the wood to a sufficient 

 depth. A saw cut made at the proper time in the early 

 spring heals outwardly in from six to eight weeks, although 

 it causes in the wood a not insignificant wound, and can 

 cause necrotic appearances on sickly trees. As, however, 

 the never- healing wood wounds are protected from injurious 

 influences from without by walling over, permanent ill 

 results need not be feared. Weak or sickly trees and stone 

 fruits should be spared from such treatment as much as 

 possible, as every disease -producing organism is given a 

 new ground to occupy by such saw cuts." 



14. Pruning may be made a means of thinning 

 the fruit ; and thereby it may indirectly 

 contribute to the control of the bearing 

 year of the plants. 



Fruit is thinned both by picking it off and by 

 removing the buds which are to bear it. The 

 removing of the buds may be accomplished ex- 

 peditiously by pruning. This pruning may be 

 the heading-back of shoots upon which fruit-buds 

 are borne or the removal of fruit -spurs. The 

 operator must first know the mode in which the 

 plant bears its flower-buds. Heading-back of the 



