PRUNING IN GENERAL. 77 



recommend the small tree; still the " trade M de- 

 mands a tree three years old or older and about 5 to 

 7 feet high. This, without generally trying to influ- 

 ence the demand, is the tree that the nurseryman has 

 by long habit become rooted to. If the nurseryman 

 will try to educate the trade to accept these large 

 one year, or the two-year olds as described, he will 

 find no inconvenience in packing and handling 

 such trees, and by instructing the planter that these 

 low growing branches or the dormant buds nearly to 

 the ground are his very best friends, and should be 

 protected and preserved, he will have overcome one 

 of the greatest obstacles to successful apple culture. 



In opening the book to this chapter, if the reader 

 has expected to be told in the old stereotyped way 

 just " how and when to prune," he will be disap- 

 pointed. It shall rather be my aim to instruct him 

 how not to prune. 



While it is true, as has already been observed, 

 that pruning is sometimes necessary (and this will 

 be considered later), it is, in my opinion, an 

 unquestionable fact that pruning, or over-pruning, 

 is one of the principle causes of failure where it 

 occurs. If we plant out an orchard of properly 

 grown trees we shall generally make more mis- 

 takes in pruning than we shall to avoid it alto- 

 gether, which is not advisable. 



Improper pruning is one of the causes of what is 

 called "black heart." This is especially the case 

 if it is done in the winter when trees are frozen. 

 This should never be done. 



