CHAPTER VII. 



Modes of Pruning and Training Fruit Trees 

 in Japan. 



Favored by natural facilities our fruit growing has long 

 been neglected in every side of its management. Of our 

 leading fruits, those readily bear have always been left alone 

 to its growth without legitimate practice of prunning and train- 

 ing. Such examples are citrous fruits, loquats, plums, apricots 

 and apples. On the other hand, fruit trees of late fruiting 

 quickly degenerate without those treatments, for instance, 

 pears, peaches and vines have long been cultivated with more 

 or less pruning and training. Date plums have often received 

 pruning but the large part remains in their natural shape 

 and stature. 



Our modes of training differ. widely from those adopted by 

 the western nations. The prevalent . forms of training fruit 

 trees are restricted to " Tanazukuri " (similar to your " table 

 cordons ") for such kinds of fruit trees as bear on spurs as well 

 as for vines. It is a mode of training on support and mainly 

 carried on for pears and vines. Apples and plums are often 

 trained by this, system. Besides these, peaches are grown 

 nowadays after regular modes of training, while they require 

 no support and stand firmly as a dwarf bush. They receive 

 some pruning every year to be trained after the so-called 

 open-centre system. 



Thus, a few kinds of fruit trees alone receive more or less 

 pruning in a regular manner, whilst others grow quite un- 

 touched. Citrous fruit trees, loquats, date plums, cherries, 

 apricots, Ume trees, plums, quinces, chestnuts, walnuts and 



