APPLES 



287 



and ruin a good orchard by not taking 

 that into account." This opinion, which 

 is more or less prevalent. I Have found 

 to be absolutely without foundation as far 

 as the simple removal of limbs is con- 

 cerned. The opinion originated not in the 

 practice, however, so much as in its abuse. 

 To hack off limbs roughly, with a hatchet, 

 and to attempt by means of hatchet or 

 axe to convert low-headed trees into high- 

 headed trees, is a sure means of produc- 

 ing disastrous results. Orchards are fre- 

 quently seen where such pruning has 

 wrought sad havoc with otherwise good 

 trees. Orchards have often been killed in 

 this way. The mischief was in ignorance, 

 not in pruning. 



Limbs of almost any size may be re- 

 moved if the work is done right, while 

 the removal of a branch one-half inch in 

 diameter may result in injuiT if it is done 

 badly. There is unquestionably a greater 

 necessity for care and correct pruning 

 here than in some other sections. There 

 is more of a tendency of the bark to dry 

 and die back in the case of stubs, and 

 careless pruning, but if the work be done 

 correctly pruning may be done here with- 

 out any danger whatever, the same as in 

 other sections of the country. Bad prun- 

 ing is more common than correct prun- 

 ing. Hence the origin of the present ideas 

 concerning pruning, and the common ne- 

 glect of this useful practice. 



Lately, in riding along the country 

 road, the writer has seen several instances 

 of 'villainous work" in orchards, which 

 the owner intended for pruning. Fresh 

 stubs, varying in size from an inch to 

 three inches In diameter, and as much 

 as eight Inches long, were visible in 

 abundance from the road. Sometimes a 

 good pruner, or the owner takes this 

 method of marking limbs whiclz,lie wants 

 removed, leaving the stubs to be sawed 

 off, by a cheaper man. I found myself 

 hoping that this w'as the design in this 

 instance, but from what I observed in 

 many other instances, I fear I %as indulg- 

 ing a vain hope. 



Early training of the top is frequently 

 wholly neglected. The result is the pro- 

 duction of unbalanced heads, limbs in 



the wrong place, and the necessity for 

 the removal of large limbs later when 

 there is a likelihood of damage from 

 sunscalding to portions of limbs, and de- 

 cay in wounds. Attention to forming the 

 head and keeping out unnecessary growth 

 would conserve the energies of the tree, 

 and remove the necessity of severe prun- 

 ing so often considered necessary later. 

 The nurseryman is concerned only in 

 growing trees. His idea is not the or- 

 chard, but a salable tree, and as many as 

 he can grow on a given area. He usu- 

 ally plants closely and the head formed 

 is often high and poorly balanced. The 

 orchardist should not depend on the nurs- 

 eryman's head in either sense. In this 

 climate low heads, say started about three 

 feet from the ground, are desirable. The 

 interference with subsequent cultivation 

 must be overcome by the use of suitable 

 orchard implements. In shaping the 

 young two-year tree the main stem or a 

 strong branch, should be left for a leader. 

 The side branches should be cut back to 

 within a few inches of the main stem, 

 leaving buds near the ends of the stubs 

 on the side toward the gap which it is 

 desired to fill by the growth to be made. 

 About the second year from this trim- 

 ming the leader may be cut back to in- 

 duce branching; the idea being to distrib- 

 ute what is to become a skeleton of the 

 tree over about three feet. One of the 

 more upright top branches should again 

 be selected for a leader to continue the 

 center of the tree upwards, and it is al- 

 ways desirable to maintain this plan 

 throughout the life of the tree. In the 

 case of young trees, removing a branch 

 to the base leaves a gap on that side of 

 the tree. Cutting back to a stub is done 

 largely in proportion to the strength of 

 the branch and may be used for filling 

 gaps. Strong branches may be left long- 

 er; weaker ones must be cut back closer, 

 or to two, three, or four buds. 



Very great damage to trees is frequent- 

 ly the result of bad, careless and untime- 

 ly pruning. Many of the trees which 

 have died the past season (1906), and 

 having the appearance of trees killed by 

 root-rot, were dead as a result of fungus 

 diseases following the removal of limbs 



