AN APPLE ORCHARD SURVEY OF WAYNE COUNTY, NEW YORK. 305 



Top-grafting or pruning every other row. Some men have top-grafted 

 half of the trees a few years before cutting them out. Most of those 

 who have tried this would not do so again. It is some expense to do 

 the grafting, and by j:he time the grafts are ready to bear well it is about 

 time to cut the trees down. Some have cut back the tops of the trees 

 to be removed, leaving the center part to bear a few years before remov- 

 ing the tree. This seems to have paid in some cases, but has not always 

 been satisfactory. Too much must not be expected of any such devices, 

 for they do not relieve the 

 condition under ground. The 

 roots interfere before the tops 

 do. When the tops begin to 

 interfere it is high time to 

 remove half the trees. 



Hozv to thin. If the trees 

 are planted in squares the best 

 way to thin is to cut out every 

 other tree in each row. This 

 is done by cutting out every 

 other row diagonally. It 

 leaves the trees in squares 

 cornerwise of the field. (See 

 Fig. 63.) 



It is interesting to note 

 what removing half the trees 

 would mean. Persons some- 

 times think that doing so in 

 an orchard that is 25 x 25 

 feet would leave the remainder 

 50 x 50 feet. As a matter of 

 fact they would be in squares 

 of 35. 3- x 35.3 feet, when viewed from the corners of the field; if 30 x 30 

 feet, and half removed, the remainder would stand 42.4 x 42.4 feet; if 

 33 x 33 feet, and half removed, they would be 46.7 x 46.7 feet. None of 

 these distances is too great for large, mature trees. If 35 x 35 feet, and 

 half removed, they would be 49.5 x 49.5 feet. Large Baldwin trees can 

 make good use of this much room. 



One of the problems to be met in thinning is that, if every other tree is 

 removed regularly, there will be some places where the tree to be cut out 



FIG. 62. The large lower branches die because 

 the trees are too close. The limbs are then 

 removed, and the next stage is a decayed 

 trunk. Notice the holes in the second tree 

 on the left. 



