THE GARDEN AT HOME 



The first puzzle that confronts the amateur is the 

 initial pruning. Shall the tree be pruned or not the first 

 year after planting ? This is a vexed question, and 

 divergent views are held. But the weight of opinion 

 inclines to the pruning, in early spring following planting, 

 of trees less than three years old, and in deferring the 

 pruning of other trees until the second spring. With 

 young trees of both standard and dwarf Apples, the 

 initial pruning is directed towards ensuring a tree of good 

 form. Pruning is ordinarily done in January, but in 

 dealing with newly-planted trees it may be delayed until 

 April. Each of the growths is cut back to within 6 inches 

 of its base to induce the formation of other shoots, and 

 these will eventually form the main branches of the 

 tree. It is important to prune to a bud pointing outwards 

 so that the centre of the tree may be kept as open and 

 free from growth as possible. 



The regular pruning of established Apple trees is 

 carried out in summer and in winter, and, so far as the 

 orthodox practice is concerned, it is simple enough. 

 Summer pruning consists in " pinching " or " stopping " 

 all side or lateral growths the third week in July, leaving 

 only five or six leaves on each. The terminal or chief 

 branches that extend the size and define the shape of 

 the tree are not " stopped " at all at the summer pruning. 

 The winter pruning lies in still further shortening the 

 side shoots to within two buds of the base and in cutting 

 off one-third of the leading branches or terminal shoots. 



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