58 TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES. 



(except for cutting them off later if they become useless or detrimental) that can be 

 positioned without cluttering, & removing the rest. 



False wood branches likewise arise from pruning too hard. It doesn't leave enough 

 of an outlet for sap to flow and causes it to flow back into previous prunings. Also 

 branches that are too old, worn out, full of calluses, knots, sharp bends, stubs and scars 

 that impede the passage of sap too much force it to avoid these obstacles & to open up 

 passages that deviate from its natural course. Since the first cause is the same as one of 

 those that produces suckers, false wood branches are treated the same way. The branches 

 generated by the latter causes are valuable. Cutting them off frustrates the tree's effort to 

 renew itself; it means branches that are useless, or close to becoming so, are preferred 

 over branches that are capable of replacing them to advantage. 



Small shoots of false wood grow out only during the second run of sap & usually 

 result from nipping buds too soon or too severely. They're retained only when there aren't 

 any better branches. 



Since most disorder in the growth of trees results from gardeners thinning the tree 

 too much & pruning it too short, it's fair to ask to what length the branches must be 

 pruned & how much the tree can be filled out. We've already said that these questions can 

 be answered only by looking at the tree itself, observing its type, condition, vigor, &c. 

 However we can say in general that for a tree in its prime & in good shape, one can prune 

 all branches that are well situated & in good condition and that can be trained without 

 cluttering. The pruned branches won't be too long at all if they're pruned slightly in front 

 of where they begin to diminish in size. The length of fruiting branches is usually 

 determined by the location of their flower buds. 



