PRUNING 837 



two there will be a slight decrease in bearing wood, but this will 

 !>< more than compensated by the better si/e and general appear- 

 ance of the fruit on the trees remaining. The wisdom of such a 

 course has been proved in many New York orchards where this 

 kind of thinning has been done. 



CUTTING BACK, OR " DEHORNING " 



Cutting back is often recommended for high trees that are 

 difficult to spray and in which one must ascend toward heaven in 

 order to gather the fruit. At best this process is but a makeshift. 



FIG. 227. HIGH-HEADED APPLE TREES, GO YEARS OLD SPITZENBURG AT 

 THE LEFT GREENING AT THE RIGHT. IN THE ORCHARD OF EDWARD VAN 

 ALSTYNE, KINDERHOOK, N. Y. 



If the tree is high-headed and such trees usually are there 

 will be little bearing surface left after the top is removed, as may 

 easily be seen from the tree shown in Fig. 227. If the dehorning 

 is severe, the tree will eventually die. Usually it is better economy 

 to " lay the axe at the root of the tree," and devote one's energies 

 to a young tree properly trained from its youth up. I would not, 

 however, be understood as saying that trees may not be so pruned 

 as to reduce the height of the top and to induce a more spreading 

 growth. In many cases this may be done by heading in the side 



