70 Fruitgrowing under Irrigation 



To deal with this rampant growth a new system 

 of pruning has been evolved by irrigationists, which 

 is usually known as the "Long Pruning System," 

 but which may more correctly be described as the 

 system of the "Uncut Terminal." 



Briefly stated, the main points of this system may 

 be summed up as follows : When the top of a 

 strongly-grown branch is cut off, the sap of the tree 

 will rush to the top buds left on the branch, and 

 there again force out similar vigorous growth dur- 

 ing the following year. This annual removal of 

 large quantities of surplus wood wastes the vitality 

 of the tree, which could be more profitably employed 

 in the production of fruit. Moreover, the sap, in 

 being drawn to the top of the tree, fails to a great 

 extent to burst the buds lower down the limb, so 

 that these in time become dormant, and the growth 

 annually mounts higher up the tree, leaving the 

 botto'm branches comparatively bare of new wood. 



To prevent this the main branches are left 

 with their tops entirely uncut, or if cut back, the 

 growth is turned to a suitable lateral, which 

 is left uncut. This through the top-most buds 

 of the tree being left uncut, there is no incen- 

 tive for the sap to rush to the top of the tree, and is 

 therefore more evenly distributed over all the buds 

 of the tree, resulting by the bursting of many of 

 these buds in the formation of a greater supply of 

 moderately-grown fruiting laterals evenly situated 

 all over the tree, than would be the case if the 

 growth had been mostly forced to the top by the 

 cutting back of the top growth. 



Rationally applied, the system of pruning to an 

 uncut terminal has much to commend it on vigor- 

 ously-growing trees ; but some growers, in their 

 eagerness to quickly get large trees and harvest 

 heavy crops, have, in adopting this method of 



