PRUNING APPLE TREES. 



A PAPEK READ AT THE FEBEUARY MEETING OF THE STATE POMO- 

 LOGICAL SOCIETY HELD IN LANSING, 1875. 



BY PROFESSOR W. J. BEAL. 



Pruning of ap2)le trees has been practiced for more than two thousand years, 

 yet to-day probably there is no one common operation in horticulture about 

 which there is a greater diversity of opinion. There are many theories and sys- 

 tems. There are advocates for high tops and low tops, pruning in and pruning 

 out, pruning up and pruning down ; advocates for each season of the year as the 

 best and only one suitable ; and it is not strange, there are some advocates for 

 no pruning at any time. Some would prune according to circumstances, some 

 would bring all trees to one uniform rule. Thirty-five or forty years ago, Dr. 

 Lindley gave to the world information on this subject which is far in advance of 

 what most of our fruit-growers now practice. 



Pruning, and the ignorance which still prevails on the subject, affords one of 

 the best examples for showing the necessity of teaching the youth of our land, 

 not only the reason wlty, but show them lioiv to prune. 



The agricultural press of our country has told over and over why, how, and 

 when to pnine, still only a small part of those who have orchards follow any 

 good method. As we pass over the country a well pruned orchard is the rare 

 exception. Unless the boys are brighter than usual, or unless they are thrown, 

 at the proper age, under the guidance of a skillful person, they will do as did 

 their fathers, good or bad, in pruning as in most other farm operations. 



Most of us will agree that Dr. Lindley was right in saying : "If well directed, 

 pruning is one of the most useful, and, if ill-directed, it is among the most mis- 

 chievous operations that can take place upon a plant." It is safer and better 

 to prune too little than too much. Trees as they come from the nursery are 

 generally four years old and have four to eight branches about three feet from 

 the ground. These all come out within a space of six or eight inches. The 

 leader or main stem has been cut off. While small the branches look well 

 enough, but if allowed to grow, when the tree becomes a foot in diameter they 

 will appear to be all in a cluster. Such trees are very apt to split down, espe- 

 cially of some varieties like the golden russet and yellow bellflower. In some 

 cases the trunk divides into two or three branches of about equal size. If there 

 are two, one should be checked by cutting back or bo removed entirely. Eight 

 inches from center to center above each other (even if on different sides of the 

 tree) is near enough for main branches, as they leave the trunk. The leader 



