36 SUCCESSFUL FRUIT CULTURE 



a greater variety of practice and more abuse. An 

 orchard may be ruined at the start with very little 

 pruning if not properly done, or it may be put into 

 condition to produce good results with an equally small 

 amount of pruning if it be rightly done. 



The first year after the tree is planted it must 

 have constant care. It is like a child, its first years of 

 training determine its character or form. After the 

 main branches have become fixed, as illustrated in 

 Figure 7, all the pruning the trees require is to give 

 symmetry and regular outline to the head by pinching 

 off the ends of those shoots that tend to outgrow the 

 main branches and to remove such as are likely to be 

 injured by rubbing together, or that are so thick as 

 to interfere with good growth and ease in gathering 

 the fruit. 



While young the trees should be allowed to grow 

 with a rather close head, to protect the slender branches 

 from the hot sun and air. When they begin to bear, 

 the weight of fruit will bend down the branches and 

 open the head, so that all the sunlight and air that is 

 needed for the perfection of the foliage and fruit will 

 enter ; and a large crop of perfect fruit cannot be borne 

 on a tree without a large amount of foliage. The largest 

 and best fruit is always borne upon those trees that 

 have the largest and most perfect foliage. During the 

 first five years of the tree's life, and perhaps longer, all 

 the pruning needed can be done with the thumb and 

 finger and the pocket knife, but as the trees grow older, 

 unless the work has been very skillfully followed up, 

 more severe pruning may be needed. Figure 8 illus- 

 trates a perfect tree, Figure 9 the same in bloom. 



The cutting of large branches should be avoided, 

 if possible, for " every blow struck at the tree will cer- 

 tainly, in so much, shorten its life." It is true that 

 severe pruning of the orchard in the winter or early 



