Pruning Young Trees 89 



may be chosen. In this case the entire top should be 

 removed without regard to branches, making the cut a 

 foot to 18 inches above the point where the lowest limb 

 is wanted. In doing this, it is expected that branches 

 will push out below in sufficient numbers so that suitable 

 selections may be made. For this reason, strong yearling 

 trees are always preferable to older ones. Should suitable 

 branches fail to grow, one of the lower branches that 

 nearly always form must be developed to form a new head. 



The trees should be gone over several times during the 

 first summer to remove surplus shoots, and especially 

 those that push out far below the point where the lowest 

 branch is wanted. Occasionally some of the upper 

 branches develop a vigorous growth at the expense of the 

 others. These should be headed-back so as to give all 

 a chance to develop, otherwise some of the important 

 scaffold limbs may be found to be very weak at the close 

 of the season. 



When a branch is headed-back, great pains should be 

 taken to make a slanting cut just above a sound bud. 

 A sharp knife is better for this purpose than the pruning 

 shears, for the reason that on small limbs a cleaner, sharper 

 cut can be made. The cut should be started a little below 

 the bud, and with one movement the blade is brought out 

 just above the bud. .This will leave a small surface ex- 

 posed to the possibilities of drying out, and the wound 

 is not close enough to the bud to injure it. If the cut is 

 made too far above, the stub will die back at least as far 

 as the bud, and often farther. If made too close, the 

 bud may be so injured that a stub is formed that will 

 die back at least to the next sound bud. 



