44 



unduly forced. It may be observed that with trees that 

 have made a normal growth the branches are more tapering 

 and more rigid than those on rapidly grown trees. The ex- 

 cessive growth is frequently due to liberal fertilization and 

 cultivation but is just as often due to severe winter pruning. 

 During the past six years I have had under observation 

 a young orchard that has been developed under various sys- 

 tems of pruning and I am forced to state that the best shaped 

 trees in the orchard today are those that have not been 

 pruned since they were planted. Now we should not deduce 

 from this that under all conditions a young tree should not 

 be pruned. These trees were Baldwin and Mcintosh and 

 v.ere grown under the grass mulch system. 1 was fortunate 

 enough to find another young orchard that appeared to be 

 about twelve years of age and composed of Baldwins and 

 Spies. These trees had not been pruned since they were 

 planted. They had been under cultivation part of the time 

 and in grass part of the time. The Baldwins were in bear- 

 ing but the Spies had evidently not started to bear. The 

 Baldwin trees were fine shaped specimens, but could have 

 been improved by a moderate prmiing. The Spy trees were 

 unsightly specim-^ns and their tops presented a broom-lik3 

 appearance. 



It is safe to say that some varieties would be better left 

 unpruned until they reach the bearing age and that others 

 should have a moderate amount of pruning and that a large 

 part of this pruning should be done during the growing sea- 

 son. The character of the soil of course will exert consider- 

 able influence upon the behavior of a growing tree. Trees 

 grown on light soil undoubtedly will require less pruning 

 than those grown on heavy soil. - Drainage, also, exerts con- 

 siderable influence upon the behavior of a tree, and the 

 training of a tree on a well-drained soil is an easier propo- 

 sition than that of training one on land that remains wet 

 lete in the spring. 



SUMMER PRUNING. 

 Summer pruning, as contrasted with the regular prac- 

 tice, is the pruning of trees while in foliage. Its influence 



