PRUNING MATURE TREES 



243 



those which tend to sprawl may be raised slightly by 

 pruning to upper buds (120). 



2. Save the small shoots, because many of them are 

 fruit spurs and the others may later become such. If 

 they are stripped ofif, the tree will not be as prolific. 

 It may even be made barren (Figs. 171, 189). 



3. Remove dead, diseased and broken limbs, making 

 the cuts cleanly and close to the larger tree parts which 

 bear them (Fig. 93). 



4. Cut out water sprouts and suckers except where 

 needed to fill in gaps. Where needed, shorten them so as 



FIG. 203— CROSS SECTION OF TRUNK SHOWN IN FIG. 204. 



At the top a stub healed o\'er hut decayed beneath. At the left a little healthy stub 



healed over. Below, the hole left by decay of limb shown diagonally in Fig. 204. 



to compel branching and later the fruit-bearing habit. In 

 properly handled bearing trees such growths are not ex- 

 cessive either in number or size, so there is usuallv little 

 need of saving them. They are of most interest to old trees 



