i75 



renovation 1-2 to 1-3 of the main limbs should be headed^ 

 back severely each year. 



Oftentimes all that is necessary is to head back the main, 

 branches severely, encouraging those on the side to spread- 

 out and develop. By heading back according to the condi- 

 tion of the tree, a new top can be constructed and ready for 

 business in from two to five years, according to conditions. 



It is important that the wounds should be cut clearly 

 and with some slope, not perfectly horizontal, otherwise 

 water might stagnate and decay set in. If the limbs have 

 cavities they should be treated, taking out the decayed 

 wood, tarring the surface left, and then closing up the cav- 

 ity with cement or zinc. 



Be very careful to follow up the womids where so much 

 cutting is done, tar or paint these for two years in succes-. 

 sion. 



SPRAYING 



There is no orchard practice more important and per-- 

 haps none less understood than spraying. Some people 

 think it a cure for all troubles, and spray without careful 

 consideration of what is to be accomplished. As you all 

 know, we spray to kill insects and fungi. Old orchard trees 

 generally have both. In my own case, the extermination or 

 control of the San Jose scale was my great problem in this 

 line. The old trees were so thoroughly infested with this 

 pest before they came under my supervision, that in many 

 cases the ends of the branches were killed back for many 

 feet, and the masses of scale incrustations could be scraped 

 off with a case knife. In some cases the life of the tree had 

 been so sapped out as to be despaired of, and yet today these 

 trees can scarcely be told from perfectly healthy trees, never 

 affected. I have used various oils and lime-sulfur solutions. 

 In severe cases I should advise the use of oils in preference 

 to the lime-sulfur solutions, as I think it is a little more ef-- 

 fectual in killing the scale. When only a moderate amount 

 of scale is present, would prefer the lime-sulfur for its fun- 

 gicidal effect as well as its insecticidal. A combination that 

 has worked very well with me is to spray in the fall after- 

 the leaves have fallen with oil one gallon to twelve gallons 

 water, and following this up in the spring, just before the 

 leaves unfold, with a thorough spraying of lime-sulfur. Even 



