STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 163 



Style of pruning, that is, whether the tree shall be trained with 

 open head, closed head with central shaft or leader, two story, 

 or to some other recognized form does not matter greatly, pro- 

 vided the style once adopted is adhered to year after year. 

 However, the extent to which apple trees are pruned does mat- 

 ter greatly. Unless the tops are kept sufficiently thinned and 

 open to admit plenty of light and air, the fruit will be poorly 

 colored, unattractive in appearance and in the case of certain 

 varieties, very much inclined to scald in cold storage. Per- 

 sonally, the writer likes low, open centered trees because of the 

 increased area of the top exposed to light and air and because 

 of convenience in pruning, spraying and harvesting the crop. 



Spraying, cultivating and fertilizing are all operations de- 

 manding careful attention on the part of apple growers but these 

 topics have been discussed by other speakers and will be passed 

 over by the writer of this paper. It might be stated, however, 

 in passing, relative to cultivation, that a practical orchard tractor 

 should prove a valuable acquisition to the grower whose or- 

 chards are extensive enough to justify the necessary outlay. A 

 number of manufacturers, at the present time, have gasoline and 

 oil tractors on the market designed for farm and orchard work, 

 but most of these outfits are not fully adapted to the needs of 

 the practical grower and furthermore the price is so high, in 

 most instances, as to be considered prohibitive by most orchard- 

 ists. A few hours' work with a tractor in low headed, closely 

 planted trees will convince any one that under such conditions, 

 a tractor to work successfully must be low and compact with 

 short wheel base, capable of turning in a short space. The 

 wheels should be broad and well cleated for work on soft 

 ground, and the engine should not develop less than 15 horse 

 power at the draw bar. Some makes of tractors approach 

 these specifications, but most of them are built too high and 

 require too much space for turning. The usual price, of from 

 two to three thousand dollars, is beyond the reach of the great 

 majority of apple growers. A practical working outfit, at a 

 cost not to exceed ten or twelve hundred dollars, would appeal 

 to growers generally throughout the country, to supplement and 

 to a certain extent take the place of horses and mules. The 

 automobile and motor truck are practical where roads are good, 

 and prices are no longer excessive. These modern inventions 



