44 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



all injury to the annual growth from winterkilling 

 will be apparent, and the pruner can take advan- 

 tage of this to remove all dead or injured branches, 

 and at the same time modify his plan so as to leave 

 a maximum quantity of wood in order to secure a 

 profitable crop of fruit, which might not be pos- 

 sible were the usual practice of removing half the 

 annual growth followed in such seasons. 



With apple and pear, which suffer less from win- 

 terkilling, the annual pruning can as well be done 

 in March, in the north, as at any other season. 

 With the grape, however, which is likely to pro- 

 duce a heavy flow of sap if the pruning is delayed 

 until late in the season, it is undoubtedly best to do 

 the pruning during the late fall and early winter 

 months. 



When the pruning involves the removal of an- 

 nual growth, rather than large branches, the cut 

 invariably should be made immediately above a 

 bud. If made just below a bud, or in the middle 

 of the space between buds, that portion of the 

 shoot left above the topmost bud invariably dies 

 back to the bud, leaving a blackened, decaying 

 stem, which is of no benefit to the plant and may 

 prove a direct injury in that it provides a means 

 of access for injurious pests. 



To facilitate the healing process in the plant, all 

 wounds which are made should be left smooth ; that 

 is, if it is necessary to use a saw in removing a 

 large branch, the cut surface should be left smooth 

 and clean, particularly around the edges. The saw 

 should be sharp and leave a clean cut. This in 

 turn should be made smoother by the use of a 

 pruning knife or a sharp chisel. The healing 

 process starts quicker and progresses more rapidly 



