376 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



South Haven, Dec. 1, 1873. 



Qnestiju for discussion, How high to start the heads of fruit trees ? 



Mr. Windoes would not prune peach trees to open heads, but trim up a cen- 

 ter stock, with branches extending from it shortened in, forming a pyramidal 

 tree. Would start the head about two and a half feet high. He once raised a 

 peach orcliard by planting the pits M'here he wished the trees to stand, budded 

 them them the lirst year, and pruned as above stated. These trees were large, 

 thriftier, and bore more at four years old, than others budded in the nursery, 

 and trees planted at six years old. He had a large orchard, with open, spread- 

 ing heads, many of which were broken down by ice. He had visited the Parish 

 orchard in Barry county, the trees of which were started from one and a half 

 to two feet high, and the tops formed like an inverted nmbrella, open and 

 spreading, and when he saw them the limbs were lying on the ground. There 

 were no side-shoots on the main branches for some distance from the main 

 body of the tree. From his own experience he concludes that the tops of apple 

 trees should be started from three to three and a half feet high. 



Mr. L. H. Bailey wouldn't have a limb of an apple tree started less than six 

 feet high. When they are a dozen years old or more, and full of apples, the 

 limbs will then touch the ground. His reasons are convenience of cultivating 

 and gathering the fruit, and because he claims the wind does not whip off the 

 fruit as badly as from low stocky trees, and because he has observed that the 

 apples in the tops of the trees were the finest, and not damaged so much by 

 the moths. 



Hon. W. H. Hurlbut agreed with Mr. Bailey. He thought that anyone who 

 had to cultivate an orchard twenty-five years old and gather the fruit, would 

 not think the lower limbs were too high if they were six or seven feet from the 

 ground. Apple trees were just in their prime at twenty years old, if they had 

 been properly cared for, and should be planted and trained with reference to 

 long life. Peach trees were different, being past their best, generally, in twelve 

 or fifteen years, and should be managed with reference to quick returns. He 

 would start peach trees low. He had in one orchard, about ten years old, twen- 

 ty Baldwins, the lowest limbs of which were six feet from the ground. The 

 fruit bore them down so that he could pick two-thirds of the apples standing 

 on the ground. He did not see there was any difference between the high and 

 low-headed trees as to the amount of fruit they bore. He did not think the 

 fruit was blown from off low-headed trees any more than high-topped ones, 

 provided the trees in an orchard were uniform, as they broke the wind from 

 one another. But if any tree tops were much lower or higher than the general 

 level of the tops they would catch the currents and suffer. He did not think 

 the apples in the tops of low trees were damaged by insects more than those 

 In the tops of high ones, as they begin to work at the bottom, and the heat and 

 wind in the top prevents them. 



Mr. D. C. Loveday agreed with Mr. Bailey in regard to apple trees, and with 

 Mr. Windoes in regard to peach trees. 



Mr. B. B. Williams said that the side-limbs of a peach tree a year from bud 

 were immature, and therefore at transplanting he would cut them all off and 

 cut back the top a little, then form the top from the buds; or if he wished 

 to preserve a center leader, would form that from the strongest bud near 

 the top. He would not start the top of a peach tree lower than two feet. 

 Would start apple trees about three feet high and keep them tending up by 

 pruning from the under side. 



