55 



or adjoining branch to which they ar^ attached. This is not 

 so important with the peach as with the apple, owing to the 

 strong growth of the former which will more quickly envelop 

 a small stub. 



5. Remove Suckers. ■ — As a rule it is desirable to remove 

 the suckers or water sprouts which may arise throughout the 

 tree. Strong sucker growth along the main limb of a long 

 branch may be an evidence of decline in the branch, and the 

 outer extremities may be robbed of vitality if these suckers are 

 allowed to develop. On the other hand, it is often desirable to 

 retain a portion of thern for replacing limbs. In such a case 

 it is usually desirable to head them back and treat in about 

 the same manner as a young tree. A portion may also be 

 retai&ed throughout the tree for developing into fruit spurs 

 by cutting back to a few inches long. 



Summer Pruning. 



It does not seem possible to harmonize the views held by 

 different investigators on the value of summer pruning. It 

 is an old practice and has commonly been credited with bring- 

 ing about increased fruitfulness and as a means to bring tardy 

 bearers into fruiting. There is very little experimental evi- 

 dence on which to base this teaching, but it is well entrenched 

 in the literature. The value of it seems to depend upon the 

 variety, soil, climate, time and character of pruning, and, 

 perhaps, upon some other undetermined conditions. For east- 

 ern conditions the consensus of opinion seems to be that it is 

 not a desirable practice as the trees are enfeebled and the 

 effects upon bearing are doubtful, often negative. 



Dehorning Trees. 



The dehorning of apple trees, or the cutting back of one- 

 third, one-half or even more of the tops of old trees, leaving 

 naked branches from which to grow a new top, has had its 

 advocates. This procedure requires great caution, for it is 

 not uncommon to find that trees which are subnormal in 

 vitality may have their death hastened by such a procedure, 

 although the first two or three years the operation seems sue- 



