90 



but with the upright growers there is a tendency to grow too 

 tall and to get out of reach of the spraying apparatus. In the 

 west it is a common practice to grow trees with central lead- 

 ers, and the result is very satisfactory. In the east, however, 

 the climatic conditions are much different, and we require 

 all the sunlight available to give the necessary color to the 

 fruit. The open-center tree admits the maximum amount of 

 sunlight, and with such a tree the work of spraying and har- 

 vesting is minimized. 



To develop the ideal fruit-bearing structure we must com- 

 mence when the tree is in the nursery row. Here the central 

 leader is cut back and the growth of the side branches en- 

 couraged. It is well to have the main branches or scaffold 

 limbs well distributed along the stem or trunk, and never 

 should two opposite branches be allowed to develop at the 

 same point, for a crotch formed in this way is likely to split. 

 With most varieties the lowest branch of the tree should 

 be started at a distance of about 20 inches from the ground 

 and the uppermost branch about 30 inches. Three or four 

 main branches are sufficient to form the head. 



The main branches are headed in to about 8 or 10 inches 

 when the tree is set. The following season the secondary 

 branches in turn will need to be headed in. The growth may 

 be directed to some extent by cutting back to a bud pointing 

 in the desired direction. In this way a spreading habit may 

 be induced by cutting back to a bud that points outward. 

 Despite such precautions some varieties, especially when 

 making a strong gro"ui;h, are bound to grow upright. Trees 

 of such varieties should be headed as near the ground as pos- 

 sible, and even then it will be necessary to check their growth 

 in some way. 



By regularly cutting back the upright branches and by 

 eliminating the cross branches in the center of the tree an 

 open-center habit may be developed and maintained. Short 

 fruiting spurs should be allowed to develop along the main 

 branches. Watersprouts or " suckers " if headed in will soon 

 develop fruit spurs, and when the center of the tree is kept 

 open the fruit borne here will have an opportunity to develop 

 normally. 



