PRUNING YOUNG TREES 



231 



condition of this lot of 

 trees. 



The number of branches 

 developing on the second 

 6 inches of trunk is also 

 limited in the 18-inch treat- 

 ment. The unpruned trees 

 and the 36-inch treatment 

 of the freshly dug Belle of 

 Georgia trees developed the 

 largest number of branches 

 on the 18 to 24-inch section 

 of the trunk. The 36-inch 

 treatment of the stored 

 Elberta trees, however, de- 

 veloped but few branches 

 on the 18 to 24-inch sec- 

 tion of trunk, and de- 

 veloped by far the largest 

 number on the first 6 

 inches. 



It is evident that the 

 branch formation upon the 

 pruned trees is largely con- 

 trolled by the distribution 

 of the buds upon the trunks 

 of the nursery trees. Upon 

 the larger grades of stored 

 Elberta trees there were 



very few 



vigorous buds on the trunks from 6 to 18 

 inches above the point of budding, with the 

 result that very few branches could develop. 

 Stored trees are commonly somewhat dried 

 out and any poorly developed or adventitious 

 buds are not likely to start as freely as in the 

 case of freshly dug trees. The light grade of 

 stored trees, the ^g-inch, had more buds upon 

 the 6 to 18-inch sections of trunk. 



It is plain from the above facts why the 

 stored trees failed to give the same results as 

 the freshly dug trees in the matter of free 

 development of branches upon the 6 inches of 

 trunk immediately below the point of cutting 

 back in the 12 and 18-inch treatments. It 

 should be noted further, however, that the 

 section of trunk 12 to 18 inches above the 

 point of budding is a weak spot from the 



FIG. 198 



ONE-YEAR PEACH FROM NURSERY 

 Numbers are inches from the bud union at A 



FIG. 199 GOOD 

 TREE PROTECTOR 



