THE HANDLING OF THE PLANTS 



141 



roses and other plants in subsequent chapters, when the plants 

 need any special or peculiar attention. 



Fruit-trees and shade-trees are usually pruned in winter, 

 preferably late in winter, or in very early spring. However^ 

 there is usually no objection to moderate pruning at any time 

 of the year; and moderate pruning every year, rather than vio- 

 lent pruning in occasional years, is to be advised. It is an 

 old idea that summer pruning tends to favor the production of 

 fruit-buds and therefore to make for fruitfulness; there is un- 

 doubtedly truth in this, but it must be remembered that fruit- 

 fulness is not the result of one treatment or condition, but of all 

 the conditions under which the plant hves. 



All hmbs should be removed close to the branch or trunk 

 from which they arise, and the surface of the wound should be 

 practically parallel with such branch or trunk, rather than to 

 be cut back to stubs. The stubs do not heal readily. 



All wounds much above an inch across may be protected by 

 a coat of good linseed-oil paint; but smaller wounds, if the 

 tree is vigorous, usually require no protection.. The' object of 

 the paint is to protect the wound from cracking and decay until 

 the healing tissue covers it. 



Superfluous and interfering branches should be removed from 

 fruit-trees, so that the top will be fairly open to sun and to the 

 pickers. Well-pruned trees allow of an even distribution and 

 uniform development of the fruit. Watersprouts and suckers 

 should be removed as soon as they are discovered. How open 

 the top may be, will depend on the cHmate. In the West, open 

 trees suffer from sun-scald. 



The fruit-bearing habit of the fruit-tree must be considered 

 in the pruning. The pruner should be able to distinguish fruit- 

 buds from leaf-buds in such species as cherries, plums, apricot, 

 peach, pear, apple, and so prune as to spare these buds or to 

 thin them understandingly. The fruit-buds are distinguished 

 by their position on the tree and by their size and shape. They 



