APPLES 



291 



Fiff. 1. In heading back upright branches, the 

 cut should be made .iust beyond a branch 

 extending outward, as shown in this picture. 

 The fruit spurs along the main branches 

 should not be removed as has been done in 



, this case. 



either be removed or cut back. By pinch- 

 ing back these shoots in early June, they 

 often may be converted into fruit spurs. 

 The fruit spurs along the main branches 

 should not be removed, as is so often 

 done. Some growers do not believe a 

 tree is properly pruned unless the main 

 arms are as bare as telephone poles. 

 Many growers make the serious mistake 

 also of cutting off the lower branches be- 

 cause they interfere with the work of cul- 

 tivation. These are often the most prof- 

 itable branches on the tree, for the rea- 

 son that the fruit they bear can be so 

 quickly and conveniently harvested. 



Making' the Cnt 



Much may be done in the way of di- 

 recting the growth of the branches of a 

 tree by giving some attention to the po- 

 sition of each cut. If it is desired to give 

 a particular branch an outward or a 

 spreading tendency it should be cut off at 

 a point just beyond a bud or a side 

 branch that points in that direction. In 

 like manner the growth of a spreading 



branch may be directed upward by cut- 

 ting back to a bud or side branch that 

 points upward or inward. (See Fig. 1.) 

 The wound on a branch that has been 

 cut back close to a side branch is likely 

 to heal over more readily than when a 

 long stub is left at the end of the branch. 

 In removing side branches the cut should 

 be made close and parallel, or nearly so, 

 with the parent branch. When long 

 stubs are left the wounds do not heal over 

 and sooner or later decay starts. It is 

 usually in this way that wood-destroying 

 fungi get into the tree, resulting in the 

 familiar hollowed trunks. (See Fig. 2.) 

 The cuts should be made as smoothly as 

 possible to facilitate the healing process. 

 To prevent the accumulation of moisture 

 on the surface, large cuts are usually 

 made in a sloping direction. Wounds of 

 two inches or more in diameter should 

 always be sealed up with paint, or other 

 substance. Some careful growers use a 

 thin grafting wax for this purpose. If 

 the wounds do not heal over within two 

 years a second coat should be given. Any 

 ordinary lead and oil paint will answer 

 the purpose, but it should not be applied 

 until after the exposed wood has become 

 thoroughly dry, and it should be used 

 moderately thick to fill up the cracks. 





Fig. 2. A Neglected Wound. Decay starting 

 at this point, has extended far down the 

 trunk. Large wounds should always be kept 

 well coated with paint. 



