Heading-in 



239 



tematically and logically from first to last. The heading-in 

 ideal is always set for dwarf trees. 



The other factor that chiefly determines the question 

 of heading-in is the checking of redundant growth while 

 the plants are young. 

 As a rule, young trees '''"-^ 



grow more thrifty and 

 upright than do old 

 ones, and the grower 

 should not be misled 

 into thinking that his 

 trees will keep up their 

 present pace after 

 they have come into 

 maturity and bearing. 

 Kieffer pears, for ex- 

 ample, make a very tall and narrow growth for the first 

 two or three years, as if headed for heaven (but they are 

 not) ; and when the bearing time arrives, this enormous 

 growth is checked and the tree spreads. However, in 

 such cases, it may be advisable to head-in the tree for a 

 time, or until the period of maturity begins to arrive. This 



heading-in, how- 



Fig. 85. A mature apple tree, showing scaf- 

 fold limbs growing from same plane, and 

 liable 'to split. 



^^.-•#1 



Fig. 86. Morello cherry. 



ever, is not the 

 fundamental cor- 

 rective of the 

 diflaculty; in fact, 

 it rather aug- 

 ments the diffi- 

 culty. It is a 

 question, there- 

 fore, whether it is 

 better to prevent 



