PRUNING AN APPLE ORCHARD. 191 



of corrosive-sublime, one part to one thousand parts of water, disease 

 germs will not be spread with pruning tools. 



In this paper the writer will not attempt to give directions for 

 pruning to be followed in details by the inexperienced pruner but will 

 point out a few of the essential points to be observed which may assist 

 him. But he will have to rely on his own judgement and work out the 

 detail of his operations. First, the general shape of the tree must be 

 considered. If it is an upright grower the thinning and cutting back 

 of the branches should be to encourage spreading of the naturally 

 narrow, compact top. This can be done by cutting just above strong 

 branches or buds situated to the outer sides of the limbs. If, on the 

 other hand, it is a spreading or slender growing tree cut the buds or 

 limbs that point toward the center of the tree in order to throw the 

 I'mbs inward and upward. Just how much wood to be taken out or 

 left depends on the variety and the individual tree, Its age, condition, 

 vigor, etc. Bearing tree with strong growing tendencies should be 

 pruned more severely than young trees or those making a feeble annual 

 growth. Some of our standard varieties tend to overbear and as a 

 result the fruit is often undersized. The fruit bearing wood should be 

 reduced to a greater extent with these varieties than with the more 

 shy bearers. Thinning of the fruit can, to a certain extent, be done 

 by the proper reduction of fruit bearing wood. With all varieties the 

 head should be kept reasonably open and well supplied with fruit 

 bearing wood throughout. 



With a less amount of bearing wood and openness of the head to 

 permit the entrance of sunlight and air, fruit is larger, better colored 

 and freer of insects and disease blemishes. This opening of the heads 

 should be done gradually with badly neglected trees. The trees will 

 not feel the shock, from the pruning necessary in many Nebraska 

 orchards to put them in shape, it the thinning process is extended over 

 a period of two or three years. While the removal of one-third to 

 one-half of the top at one operation may tend to force an excessive 

 Avood growth with many water sprouts and throw the tree out of 

 bearing. Such severe pruning could occur, however, only in very 

 badly neglected orchards. 



All cuts in removing side limbs should be paralell with the main 

 limb and should be smooth and close to the shoulder at the base of 

 the limb removed, hi heading back or cutting of a limb any distance 

 from its base the pruner should remember that all food material cap- 

 able of healing a wound is taking a downward course through the inner 

 bark and that, to heal well, a wound must be in a position to inter- 

 cept the downward flow of sap from foliage higher up. It should 

 therefore be cut off just above a strong side limb that is capable of 

 furnishing material to heal the wound. Stubs left in pruning do not 

 heal because of this fact and should not extend more that a fraction of 

 an inch from the main limb. 



