Principles and Practice of Pruning. 



97 



ing, after the young tree has been properly formed.' As wounds 

 made in winter are apt to form gum, and the removal of much foli- 

 age in summer injures the tree by checking its growth, the rubbing 

 and pinching process should be exclusively resorted to, in forming 

 an even and well distributed head, nearly in the same manner as 

 already described for the apple. The only care, as the trees 

 become older, is to see that no shoots, by outgrowing the others, 

 form a distorted top. 



Nearly the same rules apply to the plum ; but as single shoots 

 sometimes make a long growth in one season, an eye must be kept 

 to them, and the necessary rubbing and pinching performed, tha* 

 they do not outgrow the others. 



Pruning the Quince. Young quince trees, as sold by nurserymen 

 in this country, have, in many instances, received no pruning or 

 training, and resemble Fig. 126. To give them a single straight 



Fig. 1 26. Unpruned Quince. 



Fig. 127. The same, cut back and 

 tieiu stein formed. 



stem, and to impart sufficient vigor to form a good well balanced 

 head, such trees should be cut down near the ground as soon as 

 they become well established, and a single upright shoot allowed to 

 grow for the future tree (Fig. 127). The second year a good head 

 may be commenced, according to the directions given for the dwarf- 

 apple. 



Special directions for pruning the Grape, Raspberry, Blackberry, 

 Gooseberry, and Currant, will be found in the chapters devoted to 

 these different fruits. 



Pruning the Roots. This has been tried to a limited extent only, 

 and has proved useful in checking over-luxuriant growth attended 

 with unfruitfulness. Its tendency, by lessening the supply of sap. 



