PRUNING YOUNG TREES 



207 



treme and represent excessively frequent pruning. The 

 greatest danger of devitalizing young trees does not come 

 from a single summer pruning, but rather from allowing 

 too heavy bearing of young trees. 



167. Trees four to seven years of age have now gone 

 through their formative period. They should have good 

 trunks and frame limbs, and should be approaching that 

 period when they can begin to bear heavy crops. Sum- 

 mer pruning for 

 these trees, as com- 

 pared with the 

 younger trees, must 

 be modified with 

 the idea of trying 

 to induce fruitful- 

 ness directly if pos- 

 possible. The prun- 

 ing will generally 

 come considerably 

 later with these 

 older trees. 



There is no defi- 

 nite time to set. It 

 is recommended, 

 however, that the 

 pruning be done at 

 the time the termi- 

 nal buds are form- 

 ing on the ends of 

 the shoots. Note 

 that the leaves are 

 beginning to get 

 larger on the ends 

 of the twigs, and 

 the terminal buds 

 are forming. At 

 that time the termi- 



FIG. 171 HEAVY PRUNING MAKES FOR WOOD 

 This five-year Yellow Newtown has been heavily 

 pruned each year. Last year it received a light 

 thinning out and a comparatively heavy heading 

 back. When compared with Fig. 173, a tree of the 

 same age and variety, it shows how heavy pruning 

 tends to stimulate wood growth as opposed to fruit 

 production. Note the comparatively few fruit spurs 

 on the two-year wood. The tree has been com- 

 pelled to devote its energies mainly to shoot for- 

 mation. 



