52 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



my talk, it may not do to do it all at once. The treatment 

 may be too severe if you apply it all the first time you cut. 

 In those cases I cut off a half, and then the next year cut 

 down the balance. 



Mr. Cook : I would like to inquire how you saw those 

 larger limbs off. Do you saw them straight across, or do 

 you cut them slanting? 



Mr. Drew : That is a point well taken. When I first 

 started out to cut trees back so severely many of the cuts 

 were almost horizontally made. You will find that if they are 

 cut that way decay will very often quickly set in. In 

 all cases where I am cutting like that I try to cut slanting. 

 In my experience, I have found that the wood heals over 

 much quicker. Nature seems to assert itself to protect the 

 trees much quicker. The first year of the growth the tar or 

 paint that you put on will not set in quite so well as it will 

 the second year. Be very careful the second year to give it 

 a very thorough coating. 



Mr. Cook : Of course, many people would think that 

 that was a very radical way of cutting back these old limbs 

 so that they will start out such a mass of water sprouts. 



Mr. Drew : It is radical, but I think some of these old 

 trees require radical treatment. Where these sprouts start 

 up they should be thinned out. I think in time, in the first 

 or second year, it will pay to head those suckers in. I think 

 you will find if you head them in that you will get a better 

 growth and get better feint spurs than if you allow them 

 to grow and take their own course. 



Mr. Cook: Would not that apply to a pear tree just 

 as well as to an apple tree? 



Mr. Drew : I think so. 



Question : What do you mean by heading them in ? 



Mr. Drew : Simply cutting them back so that the tree 

 will form fruit wood rather than keep on forming this sappy 

 growth. 



