PRUNING AND TRAINING. 225 



To strengthen its side branches, then, it is necessary to 

 pinch in early, while they are in active growth, the leader 

 or any other shoot that is evidently receiving an undue 

 amount of sap. This operation checks the How of sap to 

 that point, and directs it to where it is more needed. 

 When a side shoot shows a disposition to outgrow the 

 leader, the defect is remedied by pinching, with no loss 

 of wood or growth to the tree. Pyramidal forms can only 

 be secured in this way by summer pinching, keeping the 

 lower limbs always the longest. In the same way early 

 bearing is promoted, for the check given to the growing 

 point concentrates the sap, and, unless the shoots again 

 start into growth, it is likely to form fruit buds. Bushy 

 specimen plants in the greenhouse and flower garden are 

 not to be seen in plants left to themselves. The stems 

 are soon naked, aud, if cut back, they soon grow up as 

 bad as before. If the leading and other dominant shoots 

 are pinched back, leaving the side shoots unchecked until 

 ripe, when they may be cut back a little to make them 

 branch, they will be as healthy and full of bloom as those 

 at the upper part of the plant. Pinching should be per- 

 formed at once as soon as a shoot shows itself out of pro- 

 portion. Further directions as to the summer manage- 

 ment of particular trees and plants will be given here- 

 after. 



Implements. — The implements required in pruning are 

 the common pruning knife, a small saw with very fine 

 teeth, a socket chisel two or three inches wide, with a- 

 long handle and a pair each of large pruning shears, 

 pruning scissors, and pole pruning shears; these should 

 divide the branch with a clean, smooth cut, and not bruise 

 it on the side next the stem. 



Mope of Operating upon the Branches. — They 

 should be so cut that they will heal kindly. If it was 

 desired to cut off a branch as at Figure 94, it is cut as near 



15 



