PRUNING THE PRUNE 



315 



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[Young and old French Prune trees rationally pruned for number and spacing of branches. 



freely. During the third summer it will bear some fruit if not cut 

 back the previous winter and, where growth is so rapid, there is 

 little danger of injuring the tree by early bearing. In the coast 

 valleys cutting back may continue another year, and fruiting be 

 thus postponed a year to get another summer's freer wood growth. 

 Though cutting back may properly cease early with the French 

 prune, it is a great mistake to allow the trees to go unpruned. 

 Remove of defective wood, prevention of branch crowding and 

 overbearing are of the highest importance, as insisted upon in the 

 chapter on pruning. 



Special Study of Varieties in Pruning. The points just ad- 

 vanced apply especially to the management of the French prune. 

 In addition to what has been already said about the Sugar prune, 

 the grower must be exhorted to study the habit of the variety he 

 has to deal with. The general rules for handling trees with differ- 

 ent habits of growth are applicable to a certain extent to the plum. 

 When to apply a rule or make an exception must be learned by 



