44 
THE APPLE. 
Fig. 31. 
III .— Y/inter Friming- 
Were [summer pruning perfect, and carried far enough, little or no 
winter pruning would be needed, and the less the better. Winter 
pruning ought to be the shortest link of perfect 
pruning. It is impossible, however, to estimate growing 
force with sufficient exactness to regulate the extent 
of summer pruning required ; therefore the amount 
is roughly guessed at, and the winter pruning removes 
any redundancy of wood left. (Fig. 31.) Sometimes, 
too, the fruiting spurs get too far from the leading 
branches, and should be cut back. (Figs. 32 and 33.) 
But beyond this, under a proper system of root and 
summer pruning, there will be little or no removal of 
v/ood. Winter pruning is, in fact, a mere removal of] useless matter. It 
can change but little, and exerts no transforming force. It is useful at 
^ times in improving the form of trees 
(Figs. 34 and 35), and in producing 
shoots or branches where wanted. 
Occasionally, too, winter pruning 
becomes a means of reducing excessive 
fertility. Fruit buds may be thinned, 
fruit spurs removed, and in their 
Fig. 32. stead wood may spring forth. This 
is occasionally one of the chief objects of winter pruning. When trees 
are weak and exhausted, as apple trees often are, by 
over-cropping and starvation, then severe winter pruning 
may revive their growth, flush them with sap, restore or 
re-establish their exhausted powers. But this belongs 
rather to cutting in or back than to mere pruning. How 
this operates to concentrate, and therefore restore force, 
is shown in Figs. 36 and 37. Trees well-nigh hopelessly 
weak are often thus again made strong. 
But the greatest art of all pruning is to know when to stop. Mas¬ 
terly inactivity often demands far higher skill than the most dexterous 
use of the knife. Trees may be pruned into fertility and out of it, and 
the best remedy for excessive fruitfulness is not seldom a free use 
of the knife ; but it is better to thin the crops down to moderate dimen¬ 
sions than have to prune trees out of excessive fertility. And with 
skilful pruning and a careful adjustment of the load of fruit to the 
strength of the trees, these will continue long in robust health and 
Fig. 33. 
! 
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