248 



Principles of Plant Culture. 



Fig. 161. Showing how to disbud 

 shoots of some coniferous trees. 

 Picking out the terminal bud A in 

 spring usually causes both the ad- 

 jacent lateral buds to develop. 



425. Pruning for Density applies either to increasing or 

 decreasing the density of the head. In ornamental and 

 shade trees, a compact head is often desirable, while in 



fruit trees, a head that ad- 

 mits abundant light and air 

 (Pig. 164) is important 

 ( 243 ) . To increase density, 

 encourage lateral branching 

 by pinching all the more 

 prominent terminal grow- 

 ing points (Fig. 162). In 

 some coniferous trees, as 

 the Norway spruce,* dis- 

 budding of the terminal shoots (Fig. 161) in spring is 

 advisable, and in woody plants too tall for pinching, the 



more prominent 

 terminal growing- 

 points may be cut 

 back with the pole 

 shears (431), 

 which causes the 

 head to grow more 

 dense. 



In pruning to 

 form an open head (Fig. 164), 

 it is wiser, as a rule, to thin out 

 the smaller branches at some dis- 

 tance from the trunk than to re- 

 sit!r;f"^growtris^ prlotTd ^ovc large branches at their 



(right-hand side) by persistent union with the trunk. 



pinching of the terminal grow- -~^ r. • j^ ci. 4.1. 



"ng points. 426. P r u n I n g for Strength . 



a — of the Trunlc. Trees and plants grown in closely- 



* J'icea < .rcclsa. 



