142 



MANUAL OF GARDENING 



maybe on distinct spurs" or short branches, in all the above 

 fruits; or, as in the peach, they may be chiefly lateral on the 

 new shoots (in the peach, the fruit-buds are usually two at a node 

 and with a leaf -bud between them), or, as sometimes in apples 

 and pears, they may be at the ends of last year's growths. 

 Fruit-buds are usually thicker, or ^'fatter," than leaf -buds, and 

 often fuzzy. Heading-back the tree of course tends to concen- 

 trate the fruit-buds and to keep them nearer the center of 

 the tree-top; but heading-back must be combined with in- 

 telligent saving and thinning of the interior shoots. Heading- 

 back of pears and peaches and plums is usually a very de- 

 sirable practice. 



Tree surgery and protection. 



Aside from the regular pruning to develop the tree into its 

 best form to enable it to do its best work, there are wounds and 

 malformation^ to be treated. Recently, the treating of injured 

 and decayed trees has received much attention, and '^tree doc- 

 tors" and "tree surgeons" have engaged in the business. 

 If there are quacks among these people, there are also compe- 

 tent and rehable men who are doing useful service in saving and 

 prolonging the life of trees; one should choose a tree doctor 

 with the same care that he would choose any other doctor. The 

 liability of injury to street trees in the modern city and the 

 increasing regard for trees, render the services of good experts 

 increasingly necessary. 



Street trees are injured by many causes: as, starving because 

 of poor soil and lack of water under pavements; smoke and dust ; 

 leakage from gas mains and from electric installation; gnawing 

 by horses; butchering by persons stringing wires; carelessness 

 of contractors and builders; wind and ice storms; overcrowd- 

 ing; and the blundering work of persons who think that they 

 know how to prune. Well-enforced municipal regulations 

 should be able to control most of these troubles. 



