APPLE GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



55 



ferinir branches should be removed. The balance of the head should be 

 preserved and at least a moderate amount of cutting back of branches 

 should be done. Care in cutting to outside buds during the cutting 

 back process will have a tendency to spread the trees if such is desir- 

 able, or the reverse operation may be found necessary. Fruit spurs 

 will have developed by the fifth season and care should be exercised to 

 preserve these on the trunks and larger limbs, where they are so often 



KiK- : >'- A tree with ;i very sin>rm framework developed by lica\y cintiiiK bai-k. 

 ( Photograph by O. E. Bremner) 



cut off by primers. One of the mistakes most commonly made in prun- 

 ing apple orchards is the cutting away of these spurs. Unintelligent 

 primers will almost always begin cutting from the ground and the re- 

 moval of these valuable spurs is the result. Orchardists should insist 

 that pruning be done very largely from a ladder, as the tops of the trees 

 need a good share of the attention in this work. In fact, if heading 

 ha> been well done there should be practically no cutting from the 

 ground, except possibly of a few succulent sprouts. 



