298 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



The cane chosen (b) is cut at 1, 2, or 3, leaving a fruit spur of 

 one, two or three fruit buds and the cane. C is removed entirely 

 by a cut at g. The more vigorous the variety and the particular 

 cane, the more buds should be left. The water sprout c is cut back 

 at 1, leaving a replacing spur of one eye. Of course a replacing 

 spur is left only in case the arm is too long and will require shorten- 

 ing the next year. The unit in short pruning consists then of a 

 single fruit spur of one, two or three fruit buds. 



The unit of pruning in long and half long systems shown in Fig.2.">8 

 consists of a fruit cane, a, with its renewal spur, d. In the illus- 

 tration, a represents the renewal spur of two years previous. On 

 it was left a fruit cane, a, which has produced the crop of the 

 previous season and a renewal spur, d, which has produced fruit 

 wood for the present season. 



FIG. 257 UNIT OF SHORT PRUNING 



In pruning, the fruit cane, a, is removed entirely at ;'. The 

 upper cane, g, of the renewal spur, d, is used for a new fruit cane 

 and shortened to about 1 for half long and to about 2 for long 

 pruning. The lower cane, /, is cut back at 1 to form a renewal 

 spur, which will produce the new wood for the next winter 

 pruning. 



This is the normal method of procedure, but various modifications 

 are often necessary. If the cane g is unsuitable on account of lack 

 of vigor, other canes such as /. or even //, i, near the base of the 

 old fruit cane, may be used for a new fruit cane. The essential 

 point is that the cane used for this purpose shall originate from 

 two-year-old wood. In the same way, any suitably placed cane may 

 be used for a renewal spur. Water sprouts from three-year, four- 

 year or older wood being available (r). .The essential point in 



