PRUNING 



255 



in a given locality, the less thinning of the top is required 

 to produce the maximum number of fruit buds (243). 



425. Pruning for strength. Trees and plants grown 

 in closely-planted nursery rows often have trunks insuf- 

 ficiently developed to support the head, when planted by 

 themselves. To remedy this defect, we promote the 



FIG. 162. FIG. 163. 



FIG. 162. Disbudding : showing how to disbud shoots of some conif- 

 erous trees. Picking out the terminal bud A in spring usually causes 

 both the adjacent lateral buds to develop. 



FIG. 163. Showing how density of growth is promoted (right-hand 

 side) by persistent pinching of the terminal growing points. 



formation of new vascular bundles (67, 123) by inducing 

 branching, which we accomplish by cutting back the top 

 in proportion to the slenderness of the trunk (423). 



Trees expected to support heavy crops of fruit, or to 

 endure high winds, should have branches developed with 

 special reference to strength. In such cases several 

 medium to small branches are better able to endure the 

 strain than a few large ones (245), and the loss to the tree 



