PRUNING THE TREES 



and harvesting. It is most important to have 

 the tree low enough down so that spraying and 

 picking can be easily done. It Is difficult to 

 spray properly a tree which Is more than 

 twenty-five feet in height. Even this height 

 necessitates a tower on the spray rig and the 

 use of an extension pole. An apple tree should 

 be so pruned that all the fruit can be readily 

 picked from ladders not longer than eighteen 

 to twenty-two feet. 



Of course, If the tree has been allowed to 

 get higher than this under previous manage- 

 ment, sometimes we have to make the best of 

 a bad situation. If the trees are too high head 

 them back by cutting off the leaders, but It Is 

 not always wise to lower all trees to twenty- 

 two feet. Heading back of old trees will be 

 more fully discussed In the chapter on " Reno- 

 vating Old Orchards." Ladders longer than 

 twenty-two feet are heavy and clumsy to 

 handle. 



If cultivation Is to be carried on close up 

 under the tree the lower limbs must be pruned 

 so as to allow this. It Is not necessary, how- 

 ever, to drive a team closer than twelve or 

 fifteen feet from a mature tree, contrary to the 

 common belief and practice. Cultivation Is 

 55 



