December Making Plans 



years of planting, providing excessive growth has been 

 checked by lifting the trees each autumn during the 

 first few seasons. 



The pruning of established standards and other forms 

 of Apples on the Crab stock is practically limited to 

 keeping the branches disposed thinly ; to shortening the 

 leading growths by about one-third, for the purpose 

 of inducing the buds to break into growth throughout 

 the whole length; and in cutting back side shoots to 

 within two buds of the base. Care should be taken 

 to cut out, not to cut back, shoots that are unlikely to 

 form suitable branches, or if there is not room to 

 allow them to develop as fruit spurs. Unless this is 

 done, sooner or later the trees will become full of small 

 growths which are not only useless in themselves but do 

 harm to the remaining branches by depriving them of 

 their share of light and air. 



In dealing with bush trees on the Paradise, or dwarfing 

 stock, as it is called, similar methods are practised 

 namely, keeping the branches thinly disposed, annually 

 cutting off one-third of the previous summer's growth, 

 and pruning the side shoots hard, to within two buds 

 of the base, to induce the formation of fruit spurs. Some 

 Apples bear fruits freely on the previous summer's 

 shoots as well as on spurs on the older branches, and 

 it is wise, if there is room, to shorten them only 

 slightly instead of cutting them hard. 



The pruning of Pears is even simpler than that of 

 Apples, for if summer and winter pruning is carried 

 out systematically fruit spurs form freely throughout 

 the full length of the branches. It is necessary to keep 

 the latter wide apart, say 16 inches at least, so no more 

 than are required must be allowed to develop. Old Pear 

 trees often become full of thin twiggy shoots that never 

 bear a blossom and prevent the full exposure to light and 

 air of the chief branches. They ought all to be cut out ; 

 to shorten them merely has the effect of inducing fresh 



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