PRUNING 



or fruit when its branches diverge at just the same 

 level, forming a sharp crotch or Y; in the second, a 

 plant becomes choked and top heavy if inner growth is 

 constantly encouraged and the branches rub and 

 interfere, injuring each other. 



And then there is a very important thing that 

 does not conce n form at all, but does concern 

 flowers consequently fruit vitally, and, therefore, 

 must be always remembered and considered when 

 there is any clipping to be done. This is the fact 

 that every tree or shrub or vine has its own little 

 personal peculiarity about flowers and the manner of 

 producing them and produces them usually only on 

 wood of a certain age sometimes one year, sometimes 

 two, and sometimes even more. So it is always necessary 

 to know the peculiarity of any plant in question in this 

 respect before venturing to lop off a branch, else an 

 entire season's product may be literally nipped in the 

 bud. 



Of fruit trees the apple and pear bear on "spurs" 

 of old wood that may be anywhere along the branches 

 but peaches are always borne on wood of the previous 

 season's growth. Trimming off the annual shoots 

 will therefore sacrifice the fruit of the latter but not of 

 the former; while "heading in" that is, removing the 

 ends of the branches with their growing terminal buds 

 being a process that encourages the growth of lateral 

 buds that are waiting for just this to happen, into 

 shoots or young branches, of course increases the 

 amount of new, therefore of fruit producing, wood. 



39 



