PRUNING YOUNG TREES 195 



young trees depends upon three great fundamental prin- 

 ciples. If these are mastered the problem of pruning 

 young trees wUl become rather simple, but unless they 

 are mastered it is difficult to develop strong, well- 

 balanced young trees. 



161. Choosing and spacing the frame branches. For 

 an open or a modified leader type of tree, four or five 

 branches are recommended. [In eastern practice many 

 growers start with six to eight, but prune out some of 

 these after the head has been fairly well developed ; say 

 when the trees are 5 to 10 years old.] For the 

 typical leader tree it docs not make much difference, as 

 from year to year new branches are added. In Oregon 



FIG. 159 



GOOD VEGETATIVE RESPONSE FROM THINNING BARTLETT PEAR SPURS 



Note the numerous fruit buds at s on spurs which did not push into long branches; 



. terminal buds at t and axillary fruit buds at a on one-year shoots. 



the four or five-branched tree is preferred. While it may 

 be true that the three-branched tree will produce three 

 branches that average larger in diameter than if four or 

 five are allowed to grow, nevertheless, the three- 

 branched tree is considered a dangerous one ; that it 

 is structurally weak ; that if one of the three branches is 

 lost the tree is practically ruined ; whereas, with four or 

 five frame limbs, one may lose a branch and still balance 

 the tree in such a way as to save it. [This is the main 

 idea with the eastern growers who start with more than 

 the required number of frame limbs.] 



