Pruning Mature Trees 123 



side limbs. Varieties that bloom heavily but set very 

 few fruits should be treated as varieties that overbear, and 

 be pruned heavily during the dormant season. Varieties 

 that refuse to develop fruit-buds should not be pruned 

 excessively, at least not in the dormant season. 



An idea of the difference in growth and fruiting-habit of 

 two varieties may be had by comparing Figures 37 and 40, 

 Jonathan and White Pearmain. The White Pearmain 

 is rather a strong grower and a variety that does not bear 

 heavily on young spurs. The fruiting-spurs are distrib- 

 uted along the larger limbs. Such a variety does not 

 need a great deal of pruning. 



Summer pruning is supposed to incite fruitfulness, 

 but does not always give uniform and satisfactory results. 

 Unfruitful varieties may be forced to bear fruit more easily 

 by withholding water in late summer, or, better still, 

 if the fault is known, plant them on a light soil; poor 

 bearers are nearly always strong growers, and very often 

 a shy bearer on heavy soils is prolific on a gravelly hill- 

 side. The Yellow Newtown is a striking example of a 

 variety of this type. The growth and fruiting-habit of 

 the tree determine largely what treatment it shall receive 

 at the hand of the pruner. While pruning may not take 

 the place of thinning entirely, it may be employed as a 

 means of correcting the faults of alternate bearing and of 

 overbearing. 



Pruning the Apricot 



In the general growth and fruiting-habit of the tree, 

 the apricot occupies a position between the cherry and 

 the peach. The fruit-buds are developed in the axils 

 of leaves on both shortened, spur-like twigs and on the 



