134 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Now, if we could start with an ideal tree, we would start with 

 one that was one year old, without any spreading branches. That 

 tree should be cut back when it is planted to the height at which 

 the owner wishes to have the head of his tree. Supposing it is cut 

 out at that point there, from these buds, three to five or six, or 

 more, as the case may be arise branches. From these branches 

 one chooses the ones which he wishes to form the head of the tree, 

 from three to five usually. It is always difficult in diagram- 

 matic things to show things in perspective. These branches par- 

 ticularly should be distributed around the stem of that tree in 

 such a way that they form a cup-shaped head. Then they should 

 be cut back to various lengths. I am not very particular myself 

 if the tree is cut back to six or seven buds, as in this case, or a 

 dozen; it depends on the way the tree has been grown. I usually 

 cut it back a half season's growth. 



The first two or three years after the tree is planted should be 

 devoted to the formation of the head of that tree, and no matter 

 how much pruning it takes to make the tree conform to the ideal 

 of the owner, that should be done. 



Having once gotten the trees to the point where the head is 

 formed, they should then be left rather severely alone for a while, 

 simply thinning out the branches. I will show that in a later 

 picture. 



This illustration shows the tree at the third year of growth. And 

 then this one shows it as it would appear a good many years later. 

 Now, the particular point about this is that these branches are 

 placed well apart, the reason for that being if forks are allowed 

 to form in the tree, the tree will split apart in an extra heavy fruit 

 season, or in heavy snow storms. 



This is the effect which we very frequently get in trees which 

 have not been pruned with that point in view. This tree started 

 with three branches with no space between them, and in an ice 

 storm which ladened it down with sleet, the tree simply split apart 

 and was made worthless. 



This illustration unfortunately is not very clear, but it shows 

 the same thing exactly. At this point the branch was broken over 

 and falls away, which leaves a place in there for rot to start. The 

 trunk of that tree in all probability is hollow. 



