112 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



childhood home to renew his boyhood coasting and found 

 no place steep enough on which to slide. The man who 

 cannot afford to prune cannot afford to grow fruit, and 

 the man who does not know how to prune, must learn; 

 the principles are not complicated. 



Physiology of Pruning 



To be an intelligent pruner one must know something 

 of plant physiology. He should know the effects produced 

 by pruning at different seasons of the year, how to make 

 a cut that will heal most readily, and the influence of 

 pruning on the fruit-bearing habit of the tree. 



It may be said that in the inter-mountain states the fruit- 

 grower prunes at his leisure, but luckily this conforms 

 rather closely to the proper season, when looked at from 

 a physiological point of view. It is generally conceded 

 that pruning in the dormant season incites wood growth, 

 while pruning in the growing season promotes fruitful- 

 ness; and, since our trees tend to overbear, it is logical 

 for us to prune largely during the dormant season. 



Although it is said that pruning in the summer season 

 may encourage the formation of fruit-buds on tardily 

 bearing varieties, it may have the opposite effect, unless 

 performed at the proper time, and may cause late growth 

 and unfruitfulness. To give the desired results, one 

 must .summer-prune shortly before the season of growth 

 ends; earlier pruning starts new growth, while late prun- 

 ing gives no results. The benefit derived from summer 

 pruning seems to depend on the ability of the orchard- 

 man to prune at a time to bring about early maturity. 

 In an irrigated section where soil conditions are easily 



