HOW WOUNDS HEAL 



133 



of such plants is due to it. In Europe, where the train- 

 ing of fruit trees on walls and trellises is far more com- 

 mon than in the United States, the expert gardener may 

 cut off undesirable shoots at his leisure during the winter, 

 but leave stubs several inches longer than necessary for 

 an inexperienced assistant to remove just before growth 

 starts in the spring. 



122. Where to cut large limbs. — From what has been 

 explained (116), it is evident that stubs should never be 



FIG. 92— WRONG WAY TO MAKE A CUT !N REMOVING A LARGE LIMB 



left permanently when limbs are cut off. It is, however, not 

 so evident how close to the main trunk cuts should be made 

 to remove large limbs. Some pruners contend that a 

 slight shoulder should be left so as to expose a smaller 

 area of cut surface to the air. They claim that the saw- 

 cut should be approximately at right angles to the limb 

 being removed. Experiments in many parts of the coun- 



