PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING. 



93 



the requisite moisture at their surfaces by means of a bell- 

 glass to retain a damp atmosphere. Cuttings are often thus 

 started, a small portion of leaves being allowed to remain upon 

 them to assist in the emission of new roots. But, if the leaves 

 are placed in a dry air, they soon pump out and carry off the 

 moisture, and the shoot, leaves, and all, withers in a short 

 time. If all the leaves had been cut off, the shoot would re- 

 main plump much longer — a fact well known to nurserymen 

 and others who reserve scions for budding. 



Proper Time for Pruning. — Many cultivators have been mis- 

 led into the opinion that early summer is the best time to 

 prune, from the fact that the wounds heal more readily. Prun- 

 ing after the tree has commenced growth 

 has a tendency in nearly every instance 

 to check its vigor. For this reason, where 

 the rapid formation of young wood is de- 

 sired, the work must be performed before 

 the buds begin to swell. Two questions 

 are concerned in the choice of the proper 

 time for pruning, the effect on fruit-bear- 

 ing, and the effect on the healing of the 

 wounds. As a rule, light summer prun- 

 ing tends more to fruit formation than 

 does heavy winter prun- 

 ing. On the other point 

 the following advice is 

 given (Bailey, " Prun- 

 ing-Book"): "The con- 

 clusion — and my gener- 

 al opinion— in respect to season of pruning, so 

 far as the healing of wounds is concerned, 

 is this: The ideal time is in spring, before 

 growth begins (late February, March, and 

 early April, in New York), but more depends 

 on the position of the wound in the tree, and 

 the length of stub than on the time of year." 

 If heavy pruning is to be done, the work is 

 best done when the tree is dormant. See Figs. 124, 125. 

 There may be an exception to this general rule, where a slight 

 amount of pruning in summer, not sufficient to produce any 



Fig. 124.— Head of Young 

 Tree pruned before the 

 leaves had expanded. 



FIG. 125.— Head of 

 Young Tree heav- 

 ily pruned after 

 the leaves had ex- 

 panded. 



