THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



255 



has reached a heitrht in the nursery so that it may be cut oft' at a point 

 where tliere is matured wood, 32 to 34 inches from the ground, this is 

 the time when the beginning of the training and developing of the tree 

 should be considered. 



Figure 80 shows a bal)y tree ready to be cut back and enter its child- 

 hood. I call it a ''baby tree" because it has been up to this date 

 nursed, held up by stakes, and given every care, not having been trusted 

 one minute to its own propensities. Now, it is to be cut back, and on 



Fig. 85. — Same tree as shown in Fig. 84 

 pruned ready to begin its spring growth. 

 (Original.) 



the little stick or stem will be built a crown as a foundation of the tree 

 that hereafter must carry hundreds or even thousands of pounds of 

 weight. 



Figure 81 shows the baby tree cut back to 32 inches, ready for crown- 

 ing, as I have mentioned before. Of course, the height of cutting back 

 to begin the crown or framew^ork is a matter of choice with the nursery- 

 man or orchardist for whom the nurseryman is growing the trees. I 

 prefer a crown started within 32 to 34 inches of the top of the ground. 



Figure 82 shows the tree one year from bud. ready to be cut back at 

 proper points to be planted in the orchard. I want to call your atten- 

 tion to one important thing Avhich I have tried to show in this picture, 



