706 



Pruning Fruit Trees. 



[march, 



trees which have been propagated by nurserymen. There 

 are, however, a considerable number of market growers who 

 raise their own trees, but judging by the results in many cases 

 it may be doubted whether this is wise. The actual operation 

 of budding or grafting is easy enough, and growers may succeed 

 with it quite readily, but it is in the after management that 

 failure so often occurs. A nurseryman, with years of experience 

 behind him, knows just how to manage the young trees in order 

 to develop them to the best advantage. A market grower 

 may not possess this knowledge, and from want of it may 

 handle his trees with so little judgment that they are spoiled. 



FIG. I. — Maiden trees: — (A), sturdy tree in growth, not pushing laterals: (a),, 

 point of shortening at winter pruning. (B), strong growing tree with laterals : (t>), 

 stock; [c), junction of scion (apple) with stock (English Paradise); (d), laterals; 

 {e), point of shortening for bush form of tree. 



It is doing bare justice to the fruit nurserymen of this country 

 to say that, in the main, their manipulation of young trees 

 is guided by sound principles. They recognise the importance 

 of securing a good foundation, and in order to get it they head 

 the young trees back, nearly always twice, and sometimes 

 three times. The maiden is always shortened, the two-year- 

 old is generally shortened, the three-year-old is sometimes 

 shortened. A young fruit tree that is not headed back, but 

 left to break naturally, will always tend to become top heavy. 

 The buds at the upper part will break into growth much in 

 advance of the lower ones, and will secure a lead which they 

 will always retain. The unshortened tree will, therefore, be 



