REASONS FOR PRUNING 



119 



Health and Strength. It is imperative in most parts of this State 

 that the sunshine be not allowed to touch the bark during the heat 

 of the day: This protection is secured even for young trees by low 

 branching and encouragement of small, low laterals. The low tree 

 with properly spaced branches attains superior strength by virtue 

 of thick, strongly knit, short growth between branches, and by its 

 strong, stiff, obliquely-rising growth sustains weight which brings 

 horizontal branches to the ground, and thus even high-headed trees 

 are liable to continually increasing interference with cultivation, and 

 the desperate grower has to raise the head of his tree higher into the 

 air and farther above the profit line, while at the same time he ren- 

 ders it more liable to sunburn, to bark-binding, and to unthrift by 

 forcing the sap to flow an unnecessary distance and through wood 

 and bark which impede its movement. Besides, a low tree escapes 

 stress by strong winds which a high tree invites and at the same 

 time is less able to withstand. Pruning for health and strength of 

 tree also includes the removal of unthrifty or diseased parts, which 

 are not only an incumbrance to the tree but may communicate to 

 other parts the causes of their ill condition. 



Heat and Light. The maintenance of strong bearing wood in 

 the lower part of the tree is conditioned upon the proper pruning 

 of the top of the tree. How far the upper levels or the shade-layer 

 of the tree can be safely opened, depends upon the local climate in 

 each fruit region. The rule must be the higher the summer heat 

 the denser the tree; the lower the heat the thinner the tree; but 

 everywhere the proper condition of openness must be constantly 

 in view in pruning. Not alone must this be done to maintain thrifty 

 growth below, but it is also essential to the best growth and ripening 

 of the fruit in the lower and interior parts of the tree. Fruit inferior 

 in size, color and quality results, in part, from lack of pruning to 

 regulate the admission of light and heat, sometimes one, sometimes 

 both, to the shaded portion of the tree. 



Bearing Wood. Good fruit develops on good bearing wood and 

 good bearing wood is the product of proper degrees of light and 

 heat, as has just been urged. But bearing wood in the case of some 

 fruits is new wood, and reduction of old wood for the purpose of 

 forcing the growth of new wood must be constantly in mind. Re- 

 newal is more or less a consideration with all trees, and especially 

 the securing of strong new wood. This is a point upon which close 

 study of the bearing tree will yield most satisfactory suggestions. 



Size of Fruit. The size of fruit, providing the tree is healthy and 

 vigorous, depends upon the character and amount of bearing wood 

 which the tree is allowed to carry. Removal of part of the fruit 

 burden is done by thinning after it is well set, but this labor should 

 always be minimized by antecedent pruning, which aims to retain 

 more or less bearing wood according to the vigor, size and bearing 



