56 



APPLE GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



PRUNING MATURE TREES. 



Correct heading and careful annual pruning of the apple tree for 

 the first five years simplifies the pruning operation for the years to 

 follow. Except in cases of accident to trees there should be no large 

 branches to take out. The work thus far should have been done with 

 the idea of leaving just enough large branches to form the best possible 

 head without any interference or crowding. Just as soon as such 

 takes place in later years all branches that have a tendency to interfere 

 with others should be taken out before they attain a large size. More 



Fig. 37. A tree of the Yellow Newtown variety, showing the development of 

 fruit spurs from water sprouts, due to summer pruning. (Original) 



or less cutting back will be necessary each season, and a study may be 

 made of the habits of growth of different varieties and cutting to out- 

 side buds or branches, or the opposite may be practiced according to 

 the needs of the variety. In most cases fruit spurs should be preserved 

 and it may even be necessary to encourage their development. 



Mr. W. S. Ballard of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and Mr. W. H. Volck, County Horticultural Com- 

 missioner of Santa Cruz County, have been carrying on some very 

 interesting experiments for the past few years to determine the feasi- 

 bility of developing fruiting spurs from the so-called water sprout 

 growth that always develops more or less in every orchard. They 

 found that by cutting back such sprouts early in the summer season. 



