FRUIT GROWING ON THE FARM 265 



CARE OF THE YOUNG TREES 



Pruning the young 1 trees. In the paragraph on planting 

 trees in the preceding lesson, the proper method of pruning 

 the young apple tree was suggested. This pruning should be 

 done in the spring before the Cleaves start their growth, 

 whether the young trees were set in the fall or spring. The 

 purpose of the first pruning is to restore the balance between 

 root and top, to establish the growth near the trunk of the 

 tree or stronger supporting scaffolds, and to form the proper 

 height of the head. Formerly it was the practice to start 

 the first limbs of the tree four or five feet from the ground. 

 Today good orchardists of the East and Middle West head 

 their trees from one to two feet from the ground. The ad- 

 vantages of low heading are as follows: (1) Being close to 

 the ground the trees do not suffer as much from the action 

 of the wind. (2) The low branches help to prevent sun-scald 

 by shading the trunk. (3) The branches shade the ground 

 about the tree and retard the escape of moisture. (4) Prun- 

 ing, spraying, thinning, picking, etc., are carried on more 

 easily. (5) There is less loss of fruit from windfalls. 



Subsequent pruning- in building the tree. The next sea- 

 son after setting and pruning a two-year-old tree, two or 

 more branches will have grown from each scaffold branch 

 left. Growth starting toward the center of the tree should 

 be pinched off, and two or three of the year's branches should 

 be cut back from one-third to one-half and left to form the 

 supports for next season's growth. The central leader and 

 its branches should be pruned as was suggested for the two- 



