214 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



one practices as severe pruning as during the previous 

 years, the tendency will be to force the tree into wood. 

 Many growers thin out the laterals excessively, force an 

 enormous terminal growth, and cut back this terminal 

 growth vigorously, thus forcing out new laterals. We 



believe that too many 

 growers make a mis- 

 take by pruning too 

 vigorously at this time. 

 It would be an advan- 

 tage to leave more lat- 

 eral wood than most 

 growers leave. Just 

 how much is advisable 

 to leave in all cases is 

 very hard to say, be- 

 cause the relation of 

 shade to the formation 

 of fruit spurs or fruit 

 buds has not been 

 worked out very defi- 

 nitely (66 to 69). Until 

 that can be done, it 

 won't be possible to 

 give very explicit di- 

 rections, but we would 

 rather let the tree grow a little brushy, because after it 

 comes into bearing this excess wood may very easily be 

 thinned out. 



The summer pruning now changes from the former 

 early summer pruning in early June to the time the termi- 

 nal buds form (66). The rule, then, with trees from four 

 to seven years old is simply to cut back the terminals 

 sufficiently so they will not run away with the tree, and 

 thin out so that the tree will not become too dense. If 

 this is followed, the tendency will be for young trees to 

 come to bearing earlier than they otherwise would. 



FIG. 178 



WELL-FORMED APPLE TREE HEAD 

 Note how well the frame limbs are dis- 

 tributed and how strong the crotches are. 

 Compare with Fig. 73. 



