SUBSEQUENT CARE OF THE PLANT 163 



the first few years, deep and heavy plowing will 

 not be needed when an orchard comes to ma- 

 turity. Light gang- plows, or even cultivators, 

 may then be sufficient for the first breaking of 

 the soil in spring. 



2. By Means of Pruning and Training 

 2a. Pruning vs. training 



278. Pruning is the removing of certain parts 

 of plants for the purpose of augmenting the 

 welfare of the plant or to secure more, larger 

 or better products (as better fruit or flowers). 

 Training is the trimming or shaping of the plant 

 into some particular or desired form. Success- 

 ful pinning depends upon principles of plant 

 growth ; training depends upon the personal 

 ideal of the pruner. 



279. Nature prunes. In every plant, more 

 branches start than can ever mature ; and many 

 buds are suppressed before they have made 

 branches. Every tree top, if left to itself, will 

 sooner or later contain many dead branches. 

 There is a struggle for existence amongst the 

 branches, and the weakest die. 



26. The healing of wounds 



280. Pruning depends upon two sets of fac- 

 tors, upon the questions concerned in the heal- 



