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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Pinching

After the mortar has set stiff, but not too hard, point up the exposed surface with a mixture of one part sand and one part cement. Take care to exclude the entrance of moisture to the cavity. Pinching and Disbudding. "Pinching" or "stopping" are technical terms which mean simply removing the extreme points of growing shoots, in summer, with a pinch between the finger and thumb. This retards the shoot from growing longer and encourages other buds and shoots to grow upon its sides. It also promotes the growth of other less thrifty shoots. "Disbudding" means rubbing off superfluous buds to prevent waste caused by the growth of shoots that are not desired. It diverts the sap to the remaining shoots and thus tends to produce branches, flowers and fruit of superior quality. If practiced with care, pinching and disbudding take the place of all after pruning, since if no shoots are allowed to develop where not wanted, there will be no useless branches to be pruned away. But the inexperienced gardener should experiment on a small scale for a year or two and carefully observe the effects of these methods before adopting them extensively. If too much foliage is removed by them, they may irreparably injure the tree.

When to Prune. - The old rule used to be "prune when your knife is sharp." This is not bad general practice. But recent study has suggested some important modifications. Small branches of most trees may be removed at any convenient time during winter or the early spring months. But large branches should be pruned, preferably, during the season of most rapid growth. This may or may not be when the tree is in flower. It must be determined for each species by special observation. But defer pruning peach trees and other species liable to suffer from winter killing until the amount of injury from this cause can be determined. This will be just previous to the beginning of growth. Then remove all dead or injured branches. But take care to make allowance for the amount of winter killing. Do not prune so severely as to prevent the development of a full crop. For most fruit trees pruning can be done in February or March as well as at any other season. But pruning grapevines, which produces a heavy flow of sap, should preferably be done in the late fall or early winter months. Still if there is danger of winter killing, it may be best to delay pruning the vines as late as possible.

Pruning Implements. - The hawkbill knife, pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, double-edged OUTDOOR PROBLEMS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER 267 a curved-blade pruning saw and special device for cutting small limbs on tall trees, are the most convenia b C (a) (a) Pruning Pruning shears; shears; (b) lopping shears; (c) hedge shears. (L. C. Corbett.) ent tools for pruning. These are shown in the accompanying illustrations. The advantage of the special saw illustrated is that the operator can use it to cut off branches within arm's reach overhead. The upper edge of the blade is convenient to make the first cut on the under side of the limb. The curve of the lower edge and inward slant of the teeth back to ten or twelve inches at the end of the first year. From each, start two or three new shoots and cut these back to twelve inches at the second year. So continue until the tree comes into full bearing.

The annual growth will then not exceed 6 or 8 inches.