. The American fruit culturist. ots, making eight at the end ofthe season, taking care that all are distrib-uted at equal distances (Fig. 139). All theother shoots should be rubbed off with thethumb and finger as soon as they second year the same process isrepeated on the new shoots, and contin-ued until a handsome, even, symmetricalframework for the future head is obtained,after which comparatively little attentionwill be necessary. A large orchard ofyoung trees may be managed in this waywith a very few days labor—far less thanthat afterward required in cutting outlarge limbs and giv
. The American fruit culturist. ots, making eight at the end ofthe season, taking care that all are distrib-uted at equal distances (Fig. 139). All theother shoots should be rubbed off with thethumb and finger as soon as they second year the same process isrepeated on the new shoots, and contin-ued until a handsome, even, symmetricalframework for the future head is obtained,after which comparatively little attentionwill be necessary. A large orchard ofyoung trees may be managed in this waywith a very few days labor—far less thanthat afterward required in cutting outlarge limbs and giving shape to the distorted tops of full-grown, neglected orchards. These rules will apply, siibstan-tially, to the pruning of standard pears, except that theygenerally require less thinning out. Nearly the same course is to be pursued in forming the heads of dwarf apple-trees, with the exception that the base of the head should be only about ten inches from the ground (Fig. 145); or, if they be half-standards on Doucin Fig. 139.—Well-formedHead. loo PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING. Stocks, the heads should be about twenty inches or two feethigh. Pyramids.—For pyramids (a form of training applied mostfrequently to dwarf pears), the early treatment is quite differ-ent from that of standards. As the sap tends to the summitof the tree, producing the strongest side-shoots toward thetop, and the shortest and most feeble toward the bottom, thenatural form of the tree gradually becomes a trunk or stemwith a branching head. To prevent this result, and give astrong, broad set of branches at the bottom, a thorough andregular system of shortening-down must be adopted at theoutset. The following is a brief outline of the course usuallypursued: After the single shoot from the bud has grown one season(Fig. 140), it is cut down so as to leave not over one foot, and if the tree is weak not over sixinches (Fig. 141). As a conse-quence, the buds on this remainingportion, receivin
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