304 Appendix. 



are exhausted, and the growth of old wood is so thick that there is no chance 

 for new wood. 



Take a prune tree as usually handled. It is pruned very severely generally 

 till about the time it begins to bear well, say five or six years old, then, as 

 vigorous wood growth ceases, it is assumed that there is little or no further 

 pruning needed. Now I do not atempt to say how long a twig producing fruit 

 spurs would continue to bear fruit if given every favorable chance, but I do 

 say that if the tree is not pruned after coming into bearing that in eight or 

 ten years the fruit spurs will be practically exhausted. Then, to properly 

 prune and secure new wood, will require the loss of two or three years' time. 

 I believe that a little less pruning should be done when the tree is small, but 

 very little from the third to the sixth year, thus inducing early fruitfulness, 

 and from then on a little careful thinning and heading every year to induce a 

 steady, even growth of new wood. When the twigs and spurs become exhausted 

 they can be removed and new ones are ready to take their places without loss 

 of time or disfigurement of the tree. 



Many times so-called water sprouts come out well down on the main limbs, 

 and where well located should be left after the tree is ten or twelve years old, 

 for the entire top, if necessary, can be successfully renewed with them. I 

 have frequently seen old trees, where these have grown of their own accord, 

 pushed up to the top and were bearing practically the only fruit on the tree. 



I believe the best time for pruning here is in February and March, and 

 where large limbs are cut off the wound should be painted over with thick 

 lead paint. 



As the peach does not produce fruit spurs, but bears usually from buds on 

 the wood of the previous year's growth, it is obvious that new wood must be 

 provided, or there will be no peaches. 



The apple and pear bear their fruit on terminal buds, and while the fruit 

 is developing a leaf bud is being formed close alongside it to continue the 

 growth of the spur the next season, and in turn to form another terminal bud, so \ 

 that it is plain that normally the spur will bear only in alternate years. 



The growth is so different and the tree so much longer lived that where 

 the peach will bear only one or two years on one twig or limb, and the prune 

 eight or ten years, the apple will bear for twenty or thirty years. But it will 

 need the same annual light pruning, as part of the general care of the tree, to 

 keep it bearing steady profitable crops of fruit. I believe that by starting 

 with an apple tree when young it can generally be induced, by careful pruning 

 and hand-thinning of fruit, to bear regularly every year instead of only every 

 other year ; but where they have once become settled in the habit of bearing 

 alternate years it seems hard to change them. 



For apple tree pruning in Western Oregon I believe February and March 

 the best time for young trees and for thinning out old trees, but where heading 

 back is to be done on vigorous bearing trees it will be better to defer it till 

 early summer,»as nearly the time that wood growth ceases as you can determine. 

 This will tend to form fruit buds instead of stimulating wood growth. Condi- 

 tions of growth are so different east of the Cascades that what would be right 

 here may be entirely wrong there, but wherever the location pruning should 

 be a prominent part of the regular aiuiual orchard work, and not something to 

 be neglected a few years and then gone at with the idea of making up for it 

 all at one time. 



