190 



PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



be sawed off smoothly so the wounds may heal quickly. 

 In spite of these conditions we find many old orchards that 

 are neglected and never pruned. 



Young Trees. — ^When a young orchard is set out the roots 

 should be examined and any broken or split surface made 

 smooth with a sharp knife. The straggling or extra long 

 roots should be cut back. The tops should be cut back to 

 a suitable height. With a one-year-old tree this may cause 

 the formation of side branches to make the future head of 



Fig. 107. 



Fig. lOt 



Fig. 107. — Peach tree headed too high. 



Fig. 108. — Low-headed peach tree at pruning time. 



the tree. It is best to head trees low enough so they will be 

 within easy reach of pickers. Compare Figs. 107, 108. 

 Fig. 109 shows the relative position of the young twigs that 

 will become the future main branches: (A) represents the 

 position of these on an imaginary circle drawn around the 

 tree. Here there are three branches; perhaps four would do 

 as well. These should be at different heights on the main 

 stem (B), to avoid splitting away from each other when 

 there is a heavy wind or load of fruit. 



Annual Pruning. — As the trees grow older it is well to 

 cut back a part of the new growth each year to induce proper 



