24^ 



rRINClI'LES AND r'KArTICE O;" PRUNING 



cause this iiniuiiig helps to thin the fniit (106). Such a 

 method appUetl to trees which produce terminal fruit buds, 

 wholl}' or larq-el)'. wouhl pro))al)ly not unl}' destroy too 

 many fruit l;uds, liut ahso ui)set the normal hal)it of 

 growth and cause the development of wood, even to the 

 extent of destroying the l)earing hal)it altogether. Even 

 with trees that produce axihary Ijuds, good judgment is 

 needcfl, for the Ijcaring hal:)it may differ among varieties 

 as well as sjjecies. l''(ir instance, the peach bears its fruit 

 buds on strong annual growths of last year; whereas the 



cherry blooms on less vigorous 

 twigs. Therefore the severe 

 pruning considered ideal for 

 the peach would in the cherry 

 dc\-elop many and large twigs 

 which would J^ear little fruit. 

 /\pples and pears, which form 

 axillary fruit buds and also 

 terminal ones on young fruit 

 spurs, must be pruned more 

 severely than those which bear 

 in the more normal way, be- 

 cause thcv are prone to over- 

 bear. To sum this matter up, 

 then, the pruner may decide 

 how much he shall prune each 

 tree bv noting the way in 

 which it forms the majority of its fruit buds. 



193. Pruning the apple. — In a general way the follow- 

 ing rules, based on the principles already discussed 

 (Chapter V), will aid the pruner in developing his judg- 

 ment of how to prune bearing trees, not only of apples 

 l)ut of other fruits : 



1 . Study the habit of growth as well as the method of 

 fruit bud formation. Trees which normally grow erect 

 niav be spread somewhat by cutting to outside buds; 



FIG. 202 

 UNPARDONABLE "PRUNING" 

 This style of cutting courts d's- 

 i>^ler because it favors tlie en- 

 trance of decay. The wound 

 should be close to the trunk as 

 shown in Fit;. 93. 



