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DUTCH APPLE GROWING: INTENSIFICATION AND TRAINING 



William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



Between 

 lands were o 

 and M. 16) , s 

 dwarf rootst 

 seedling-roo 

 of the vigor 

 and 20-30 fe 

 leader or op 

 inches from 

 stricted to 



the 1930 's and 1950, apple trees planted in the Nether- 

 n seedling roots, vigorous M. rootstocks (M.ll, M.13, 

 emi-dwarf rootstocks (M.l, M.2, M.4 and M,7), or full 

 ock (M.9). Shortly after World War II, spacing of 

 ted trees began to be reduced in new plantings to that 

 ous and semi-dwarf rootstocks: 16-25 feet in the row 

 et between rows. Trees were trained as either central- 

 en-center type with the lowest limbs no less than 20 

 the ground. These "bush" shaped trees were usually re- 

 10 to 13 feet in height. 



Today, in a 

 well-cared-for 

 orchard, trees 

 of this era have 

 4 to 6 heavily 

 pruned main 

 branches with 

 much of the 

 growth origi- 

 nating from the 

 upper side of 

 these branches 

 removed to in- 

 crease light 

 penetration in- 

 to the tree. 

 [(Scaffold limbs 

 pruned this 

 severely in 

 Massachusetts 

 would be sub- 

 ject to sun 



Fig. I. A 40-year-old 'Belle de Boskoop' apple tree on M.7. scald.) 

 This is a bush tree of l6-foot height. 



The M.9's of that era were often planted as fillers between 

 the permanent seedling-rooted and more vigorous M. rootstock trees. 

 Two systems of training trees on M. 9 developed. Some trees were 

 headed-low at planting, supported by a short post and grown as 

 bushes, while others were trained to a central leader and supported 

 by a longer post. 



The author is indebted to Dr. S.J. Wertheim for supplying the 

 photographs and information for the tables and for examining the 

 paper for accuracy. 



