240 ANNUAL REPORT. OF THE Off. Doc. 



the cut surface. Trees, hard-pruned, throw out many water sprouts. 

 These should be removed as they are useless and rob the tree of so 

 much nourishment and make too much shade; but spare the fruit 

 spurs. Many farmers and even professional pruners, tree butchers I 

 call them, do not know the difference between useless wood and fruit 

 spurs. 



In 1880 I planted 15 acres of orchard. Tended it well. It became 

 a model for beauty, and came into early bearing as any well-regulated 

 orchard will. One day a gentleman called to see my orchard. After 

 going through it he remarked: "You have a fine orchard, but you have 

 made one serious mistake. You have too much wood in your trees." 

 I asked him too show me where. He pointed to the fruit spurs of 

 which I was so justly proud and said they were robbers and should 

 come out. I told him I wanted them there. He left, assuring me I 

 would find my mistake to my sorrow. He said he was a fruit raiser 

 and knew what he was talking about. 



A few years later when this orchard was heavily ladened with 

 choice fruit well distributed through the entire tree, this same gen- 

 tleman again called. After again going over the orchard he said he 

 had an apology to make. I asked him what. He said when he was 

 here before he had said there was too much w^ood in my trees. Now 

 he saw I was right and he was wrong. My trees were bearing heavily 

 and scarce bending the limbs, while he had cut out all the fruit spurs 

 and driven all the fruit to the ends of the limbs, bending them down, 

 exposing the bare limbs to the heat of the sun, killing the bark which 

 was taken possession by the flat-headed borers and his orchard 

 was ruined. In many sections there are people who make a specialty 

 of grafting and pruning, traveling from farm to farm. Some of them 

 may be all right but most of them should be avoided as a mad dog. 

 They tell you your orchard needs pruning, which is doubtless true, 

 as I never saw one that did not. They tell you there is too much 

 wood. You think, as it is their business, they know it all and as you 

 are busy you turn them in. Later you come along to note progress 

 and w^hat a sight meets you. Your once beautiful trees now remind 

 you of a post planted with a few poles stuck on the upper end with 

 a brush tied on the upper end of each. This professional tree butcher 

 has trimmed off every fruit spur that was along the main limbs leav- 

 ing them bare^ not only destroying all hopes of early and heavy bear- 

 ing but inevitably destroying the health and longevity of the trees, 

 as no tree can thrive with trunk and large limbs exposed to the hot 

 snn. Farmer friends, if one of these men should call upon you, ques- 

 tion him closely and if you find him an imposter turn the dogs on 

 him. Many wish to know the best time to prune. That depends 

 upon the object. In young trees where wood growth and tree for- 

 mation are the principal objects, early spring or late fall is the best 



