62 State Horticultural Society. 



heavy tops, that have been moderately pruned each year: They are 

 more easily grown, will resist the storms, will protect their trunks from 

 sun scald, will act as a shade and protection to their own roots, will not 

 break with weight of fruit, the fruit will be more easily gathered, trees will 

 live much longer, and, last, but not least, there is a great saving of labor 

 and expense over heavy pruning. The trees having been properly 

 pruned and trained in the orchard for the first five years, at which age 

 they usually begin fruiting, will for a number of years require but little 

 pruning, which, however, should be done regularly each year. Cut out all 

 broken, weak and sickly limbs, also water sprouts. After the trees have 

 borne several full crops, and many of the lower limbs have become weak 

 and sickly from heavy fruiting, they may then be cut out. Cut them 

 from the main leaders of the tree and paint the cut to keep from check- 

 ing. Do not cut a main leader from the tree unless dead or broken. 

 O'ne of the most important things connected with pruning is to culti- 

 vate and care for the trees so they will have a healthy normal growth 

 every year. The wise surgeon, after amputating a limb from the human 

 body, will always insist upon the proper care of his patient, and such 

 food as will produce healthy blood so the wound will heal. The fruit 

 grower must learn to use the same good common sense with his trees. 

 Prune to old age. And what are we to understand by the term when 

 applied to the apple orchard? In our opinion it may be anywhere from 

 twenty to fifty years. Owing to variety, soil, climate, care, cultivation, 

 how grown and how treated. Trees often become prematurely old from 

 various causes. Some overbear and die young, while others from bar- 

 renness or from great care live long, very long, and like some people out- 

 Hve their usefulness. We advise to prune and care for the orchard just 

 as long as it continues to produce paying crops, no matter how old, but 

 whenever it ceases to do so, then cut it down and convert into fuel. 

 Why should it longer cumber the ground? For sanitary reasons haul out 

 and burn all prunings from the orchard. 



• Pruning tJic Peach. — Starting with the one-year-old peach tree from 

 the nursery, it should be pruned to a single stem or whip and cut off at 

 the top so it wall form a head at two or three feet from the ground. 

 Some object to these low heads on the ground that they are difficult to 

 cultivate and that the fruit will not color and ripen so well as on higher 

 heads. To the first of these objections we answer that with our im- 

 proved modern implements there is no difficulty experienced in culti- 

 vating such orchards. To the second objection we answer it depends upon 

 the locality, soil, climate and variety whether or not you find your highest 

 and best colored fruit on the high headed trees. In our experience in 

 collecting specimens in Missouri for the last thirty years, of both peach 



