No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 793 



shoot must be leiuoved, and sometimes the young- tiwi slioots up- 

 ward so lapidly as (o become topheavy. If such is the case you 

 must trim back oi- youi- tree will become ]jermaueutly crooked. In 

 doing- this trim to an outside bud, which gives your tree an outward 

 spreading habit as tlie top bud always becomes tlie leader and 

 always starts with an outward curve. The following spring you 

 go over the entire orcliard treating every tree to a careful inspection. 

 If you find the tree is shooting up too much, and this is mostly the 

 case the first few years, trim to an outside bud, as some trees natur- 

 ally spread too much so; such being the case you trim to an inside 

 or one on the upper side of the limb when the new shoot will be up- 

 right. It sometimes happens that one of the young shoots or limbs 

 has been broken off or the bud failed to develop, thus leaving an open 

 space on one side; if so, in pruning the limbs on each side nearest the 

 space, trim to a bud on that side, the new shoots will then curve 

 toward the open space soon filling it up. It may also happen the 

 stem of your tree mav hare an unsightlv crook; if so, vou can remedv 

 this by making two or three cuts with a sharp knife up and down 

 the entire length of the crook, as nature in her effort to repair the 

 injury throws out granulations, forming wood faster here than 

 elsewhere and soon remedies the crook. As the growing season ad- 

 vances you will find too many shoots spring out from the cut back 

 limbs which if left, makes too much wood, much to the detriment of 

 the tree. By removing these at once you save your tree and throw 

 the growth where it will do the most good. 



The third spring is one of the most critical in tree formation. In 

 most instances your tree will have too much wood and it is some- 

 times difficult to know which limb should come away. Yet come 

 away they must or in after years you must cut away many large 

 limbs, often causing a severe shock to the tree. You may find the 

 tree has become too spreading; if so, resort to inward trimming and 

 draw the top together. You can with a sharp knife and good judg- 

 ment shape a tree as you will. From this time on the tree needs 

 careful watching, cutting out all crossing limbs and any limb you 

 think may eventually come in the way. Cut out all the water 

 sprouts, but do not cut off the fruit sprouts. These are what bears 

 the fruit and these you want to nurture and care for. 



Many a fine orchard is ruined by some professional tree butcher 

 who claims to know it all, starts out with a hatchet or hand ^xe 

 cutting off all the fruit spurs and at the same time cuts many a gash 

 into the limb. Your tree was perhaps a little slow coming into bear- 

 ing. Your j)rofessional told you there was too many little stubby 

 limbs on the larger ones and that they took the strength away. Now 

 since he removed the cause you wait anxiously for them to begin. At 

 last after several years your tree begins bearing, but all the fruit 

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