THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



in August, it will promote the formation of 

 fruit buds for the next season. 



Every season after planting judicious 

 pruning of top growth is necessary, for sev- 

 eral reasons, the principal of which are equal 

 distribution of weight, symmetrical form, best 

 adapted to fruit bearing and ripening, and the 

 curtailing of rampant growth, which is detri- 

 mental to fruit production. The young tree is 

 prone to throw sprouts from the main stem 

 at the same height, but on opposite sides. This 

 seems of no importance to the uninitiated until 

 years afterward, when the sprouts have devel- 

 oped into heavy main branches. Then the 

 most ignorant person can realize the danger 

 of the trunk of the tree being split in half by 

 the drag of the branches. 



Amputating large limbs is a drain on the 

 tree's vitality, which usually retards its fruit- 

 fulness for several seasons; therefore, the for- 

 mation of the young tree must be most care- 

 fully watched and controlled. The first branch 

 should start from the main stalk, about 3 feet 



157 



