FRUIT H0T3S - February, 194-0 



W. II. Thies 

 !]xt ens ion Hor t i cul tur is t 



It's Pruning Time 



Many of the apple orchards in Massachusetts have too 

 many trees per acre for best results. Unlike a planting of for- 

 est trees ivhere some crowding accompanies best timber production, 

 orchard efficiency is highest when wo have onl;^ enough vegetative 

 growth to best utilize the available moisture, mineral elements 

 and sunlight. Anything in excess of that ideal amount, particu- 

 Ic'.rly in the form of surplus trees, is a distinct liability. 

 Twenty-seven mature trees (planted 40 x 4-0) on an acre of land 

 will need to produce only a little more than 11 bushels per tree 

 per year to insure 300 bushels per acre, a fair average. Twenty- 

 seven trees, with ample space for root develop.aent and a good 

 exposure to sunlight on all sides (natural accompaniments of 

 proper spacing), will produce 300 bushels of apples more chec?'ply 

 than 54 trees on the same area. In the latter case, available 

 resources are wasted in developing v^ood too far from the ground 

 and in setting fruit buds under highly competitive conditions. 



Other reasons for reducing the number of trees are ob- 

 vious. There are fewer trees to spray, fertilise, prune, and 

 thin, thus saving in labor and materials. More of the fruit may 

 be picked from the ground, since the lower branches are kept vig- 

 orous and productive v/hen a tree has adequate space. This re- 

 duces the cost of harvesting. Color, size and quality are likely 

 to be better since vrater and nitrogen are very often limiting 

 factors, and these materials are used needlessly in a crov/ded 

 orchard, in merely maintaining surplus vegetative growth. 



Any orchard should be considered as having too many 

 trees if they interfere in any way with the movement of the spray- 

 er. The ideal arrangement is found where there are just enotigh 

 trees, evenly spaced, to reach into and utilize .the belo"w ground 

 resources without serious competition, with tops neither touching 

 nor shading each other appreciably. Probably the best recommenda- 

 tion for prompt roraovol of surplus trees comes from those v.iio 

 have tried it. Many who have waited for "one more crop" before 

 wielding the ax, wish they had acted sooner. 



The removal of entire trees may be considered as one 

 very effective kind of pruning, since pruning is the elimination 



) 



Issued by tlie Ziitension Service, Willard A. Mimson, director, 

 in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Massachusetts 

 State College, United States Department of Agriculture, and 

 Cotuity Extension Services cooperating. 



