Apple Culture. 323 



Pruning should be done with a sharp knife or saw, leav- 

 ing a clean, smooth cut. At the juncture of the ]>ranch 

 with the trunk of the tree or with a larger branch there is 

 a small projection or shoulder; cut as near as possible on a 

 level with the limb pruned from, and at the shoulder; if a 

 ■ stub is left it will never heal and suckers will start, thereby 

 defeating the object of pruning. On the other hand, if the 

 limb is cut too close, it will leave a large wound difficult to 

 heal. 



There is sometimes a diseased condition of the body of 

 the apple tree, and which usually destroys the whole tree, 

 caused by the sun's rays striking the exposed trunk. This 

 is obviated by such training as will cause the body of the 

 tree to be shaded by the foliage. 



There is another class of trees which demand a moment's 

 attention — those which have come up of themselves in the 

 fields and pastures. They have been neglected, perhaps, 

 and are rough and scraggy ; but, at the same time, many 

 of them are hardy and healthy, and, wherever this is the 

 case, fii'st class trees can be made of them and good fruit 

 obtained much sooner than can be obtained from such as 

 are set fi*om the nurserv. The owner of such trees should 

 lose no time in causing them to be grafted. If the trees 

 are of bearing size and the work well done three years vnW. 

 be sufficient to give him a good crop of fi-uit. The proper 

 method with such trees is to graft the whole tree 9,t one 

 time — and any healthy grafted tree which is a shy bearer 

 or which produces inferior fruit may be treated in the same 

 way. Some recommend grafting but a portion of the tree 

 at once, and consequently being two or three years in going 



