PRUNING PRINCIPLES 99 



ticed more largely by the commercial fruit grower is to cut 

 out whole branches, one, two or more years old, when these 

 extend beyond the general outline form and desired size of 

 the tree. In all such cases the cuts are made at the points 

 where the branches to be removed join older or larger 

 branches. Clean, close cuts are made. In a few years the 

 vacant spaces fill up with bearing wood. This plan is 

 especially popular in the management of stone fruits. 



d. The rate of growth is a factor included in the discussion 

 in paragraph b above. 



93. 12. Neither kind nor extent of pruning influences 

 fruit bearing as much as does the condition and the estab- 

 lished habit of the plant. Quiescence rather than stimula- 

 tion or spasmodic effort favors the fruit-bearing habit, 

 which is influenced b\ pruning, as well as bv other treat- 

 ment, more in \oung than in old plants. 



Doubtless this principle is the most important of the score 

 discussed in this chapter, not because it emphasizes pruning 

 so much, but because it teaches the importance of continuous 

 good care of the plants. This matter of continuous good 

 care cannot be over-emphasized. But it is not with these 

 phases of plant management that this book is concerned: 

 pruning is the subject in hand. 



Even casual observation will show that plants, even of the 

 same variety, differ more or less widely in habit, especially 

 in the habit of fruit bearing. So noticeable is this fact that 

 certain fruit growers and nurserymen favor so-called "pedi- 

 greed trees," these being propagated from trees of known 

 performance. Doubtless part of the phenomenal prolificacy 

 is due to individuality, but probably a large part is also due 

 to some unrecognized factor which favors fruit bearing, 

 so that the case may be more one of plant nurture than is 

 supposed. 



But let us set aside such cases and consider only average 

 ones. When once plants begin to bear, the bearing habit 

 should be maintained. Nothing will favor this more than 



