216 SOME SPECIFIC ADVICE 



"Low heading is the watchword for planters in 

 eastern Washington. Commence with a yearling 

 tree, switches preferred [as in Fig. 140] , for in 

 these we find the entire bud system intact, and 

 we can head our trees at any desired height. All 

 trees that naturally have a tall, upright habit of 

 growth, such as apple, pear and sweet cherry, 

 ought to be headed not higher than twenty to 

 twenty -four inches from the ground. And all 

 stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, prunes, apri- 

 cots, etc., ought to be headed a little lower, say 

 twelve to eighteen inches from the ground. 

 Yearling trees, as usually found in the nurseries 

 of the state, will range from two to four, or 

 even seven or eight feet high. At planting 

 time, whether it be spring or fall, these ought 

 to be headed -down to the proper height. I am 

 aware that it seems like a great sacrifice to take 

 a strong young tree and cut away three-fourths 

 of its top, but it must be done, and done at 

 once; for if you allow one year to pass without 

 attention to this topping, your chances to secure 

 a w r ell-formed, low-headed tree are lost. For 

 while you may at any time cut a tree back to 

 the desired height, yet, to cut back into wood 

 that ^is two or three years old never gives the 

 same results as does attention to this matter at 

 the proper time. 



"It will be seen that the treatment of the tree 

 the first season is of a very simple nature. Your 



