PLANTING AND CARE OF TREES 



135 



ment and are beginning to regain their natural habit. There are 

 few people who approve of the promiscuous dehorning of shade 

 trees and the practice now is largely restricted to the work of re- 

 juvenating weak and neglected trees. 



There is probably no better way of putting new life into weak 

 trees than by severely pruning during the dormant season. The 

 weaker the tree the more severe should the treatment be. A tree 

 that is making a very small annual growth and that has put out 

 a scanty supply of foliage should be severely cut back. The re- 

 moval of three-fourths of the top during the following winter would 

 tend to awaken new activities. When we consider that the new 

 growth and the development of the foliage and blossoms must come 



BEFORE PRUNING. AFTER PRUNING. 



Fig. 59. Heading-in neglected Apple Trees to render them more 



easily sprayed and to facilitate the harvesting of the fruit, 

 practice in New England. 



A common 



from the energy stored up in the lower part of the tree and in the 

 roots, it is not surprising that there is sometimes a feeble growth. 

 By removing a part of the top, all of the stored-up energy is forced 

 into the remaining part with the result that the tree, during the 

 following season, carries fewer leaves, but these are of a better 

 color and appearance. A tree sometimes becomes constitutionally 

 unbalanced from the effects of an inadequate supply of food or water 

 or from the effects of insect attack, fungus disease, or mechanical 

 injury. A tree in this condition has not sufficient energy stored up 



