TESTIMONY OF EXPERIENCE 19 



grower, and suggests the feeling that he may be 

 remiss in all his operations. But while I dis- 

 courage the removal of branches three and four 

 inches in diameter, I must repeat that it is not 

 because I consider such practice a devitalizing 

 one. And I should much prefer the removal of 

 such large branches to total neglect. I have my- 

 self removed many such branches ten and fifteen 

 years ago from apple trees which are to-day in 

 most perfect health and vigor. 



3. If philosophy and physiology show that 

 pruning is not a devitalizing process, common 

 experience affords still stronger proof. One of 

 the commonest absurdities in our horticultural 

 literature is the admonition to prune only with a 

 knife, thereby avoiding the cutting of large limbs, 

 while there is not an orchardist in the country 

 who practices this advice if he prunes thoroughly. 

 If scientific teaching and permanently successful 

 practice are opposed, then the teaching is wrong. 

 I am afraid that some of our accepted teaching 

 on the subject of pruning will not stand the 

 test of time. I have frequently observed that 

 well pruned trees live as long as those unpruned, 

 and I am inclined to believe that they may live 

 longer ; and they produce more during their 

 lifetime. 



But suppose that pruning is a devitalizing 

 process what then? Even then we could not 

 afford to discontinue it. The gains in size and 



