PRUNING 89 



It must be noticed however that the degree to which 

 a tree top should be kept open will vary considerably. 

 In Kansas or Missouri, where sunshine is abundant 

 and apt to be hot, tree tops should be encouraged to 

 form thick tops, while the same varieties in New York 

 or Ontario would require to be thoroughly opened 

 out. 



The removal of dead, broken or diseased branches 

 is a necessary labor, but a very simple one, and should 

 require no special explanation. Such work should be 

 done whenever the injury is discovered. 



ODD YEARS 



We have now to notice a few matters of general in- 

 terest in connection with the subject of pruning. One 

 of these is the odd-year proposition. It is commonly 

 understood that most varieties of apples have a tend- 

 ency to bear in alternate years, giving little or 

 nothing in intervening years. This habit is especially 

 emphasized in the Baldwin, so that in the region where 

 this variety predominates the "even year" is under- 

 stood to be the "apple year," while the "odd year" is 

 the year of famine. 



It is also known to most experienced fruit growers 

 that many trees fail to fruit in the odd years simply 

 because they are impoverished by overbearing during 

 the even years. It is known, further, that in case 

 some accident prevents a tree or a block of trees bear- 

 ing during the even year fruit buds are likely to form 

 and a crop follow in the odd year. Theoretically it 

 ought to be possible, by thinning the crop during the 

 bearing year, and by feeding the trees well, to equalize 

 the crops from year to year, thus making the annual 



