174 The Fruit-Growers Guide-Book 



are alike. No two branches are alike. No definite rules 

 can be formulated which will apply to every kind of plant 

 in every locality in which it may be growing. It is a com- 

 paratively simple matter to prescribe formulae for the 

 spraying of plants to govern the destruction of insects and 

 control the damages done by fungi. With pruning, how- 

 ever, only systems can be defined which are broad enough 

 to permit of wide modification according to the ideal and 

 desire of the pruner and the habit and character of the 

 plant. This means that the operation must be done in a 

 rational, common sense way, rather than by following pre- 

 scribed rules. 



Since rules cannot be formulated for the pruning of 

 plants, there are certain systems which can be designed 

 that will enable the pruner to so modify his plants that they 

 will all conform to certain well defined types. In grape 

 pruning, for example, there are certain well defined types 

 or systems in use, such as the spur system, the drooping 

 system and the upright system, with several modifications 

 or combinations of these. In ornamental plants there are 

 natural forms and topiary forms which are made by train- 

 ing the plants into formal or fantastic shapes. In Euro- 

 pean countries fruit trees are trained into formal shapes, 

 and they are a striking contrast to the shapes of pruning 

 that are used in this country. Some of these differences 

 are due primarily to a matter of taste, while others are 

 employed to suit a certain definite purpose, or to adapt 

 the plant to given surroundings or environment. 



In the United States there is a great amount of differ- 

 ence in the style of pruning in the Atlantic coast states and 

 in the Central and far Western states. In the Atlantic 

 coast states the trees are given a high head, while in the 

 Central and far Western states the head is placed closer 

 to the ground. In the Eastern states the trees are trained 

 with a more open head than in the Central or Western 

 states. These styles are due mainly to an attempt to adapt 

 the tree to the climatic conditions in which it is compelled 

 to grow. In the rainy atmosphere of the coast region it is 

 necessary to prune the trees with a high open head so as 



