202 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



but as yet have not borne a commercial crop. Before 

 taking up the details of pruning these three classes, sum- 

 mer pruning and its relation to such trees should be con- 

 sidered. 



165. Summer pruning young non-bearing trees. Of 

 recent years we have heard much about summer pruning, 

 which, with many fruit growers, has become a fad. Many 

 people are expecting too much from it. 



FIG. 166 MODERATE PRUNING STIMULATED SHOOT FORMATION 

 In this old Tompkins King apple tree two and three years ago moderate prun- 

 ing stimulated the formation of a rather large number of medium long shoots. 

 These have not been headed back and have consequently developed large numbers 

 of fruit spurs. Many of the small spur-bearing branches should now be removed 

 to afford the remaining ones ample light throughout their length. Thinning out is 

 more needed than heading back here, though a limited amount of heading back 

 will tend to keep the tree from growing too high. 



In many cases not much pruning will be done during 

 the first summer of the tree's life, as the trees often do 

 not make very much growth the first season, but where 

 they do make a vigorous growth by the middle of June, 

 or early July, it will often be found an advantage to head 



