20 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 257 



be detected by the weak ''scrubby" character of the twig and spur 

 growth. They are liabilities which are best removed even if there is 

 no new growth to take their places. Trees properly pruned remain 

 smaller and decidedly lower than unpruned trees. This makes for 

 more effective and easier spraying. In view of the fact that (iiseases 

 like scab, persisting on high branches, may be washed down by the 

 rain to parts of the tree below, this is of considerable importance. 

 Then, too, the labor of picking apples on the tops of high trees is ex- 

 cessive, especially when the crop is light. Long ladders must be 

 placed for a very few apples. On the whole, the medium-sized tree 

 that results from pruning is more satisfactory than a larger tree 

 that might result if no pruning were done. Pruning by opening the 

 tree makes it possible for light to penetrate, and hence presumably 

 will benefit the color of the crop. Certainly the more open branches 

 can be more readily penetrated by the fog of spray thrown from mod- 

 ern spraying equipment. 



Many factors may affect the time required to prune ; for example, 

 previous treatment of the orchard and the amount of fertilizer applied. 

 Speed in pruning is attained through experience which leads to quick 

 decisions as to where to cut. The operator who hestitates is inevitably 

 slow. Speed might result from removing few large branches rather 

 than a considerable number of small ones. Most horticulturists be- 

 lieve, however, that the invigorating effect of pruning is better dis- 

 tributed to all parts of the bearing area by the latter method. 



It is evident, therefore, that it is difficult to compare pruning ef- 

 ficiency on different farms. The problem is far deeper than mere 

 hours per tree. Yet there is need to balance all the factors involved 

 and to determine from an economic viewpoint the amount of time 

 which the orchardist can afford to spend on this operation. 



The data shown here as hours per mature tree indicate the time 

 used in pruning divided by the mature tree units. It is to be noted 

 that in some instances certain trees may not have been pruned every 

 season. It is also certain that the average time required, about 36 

 minutes per mature tree, is not sufficient to carry out annually the 

 pruning operation as it would be taught in most agricultural colleges. 

 Yet, the orchards on the whole seem to be in as good condition as 

 when the study began. There is considerable question whether prun- 

 ing of mature ti'ees to an ideal which may have become fixed in a cer- 

 tain operator's mind actually results in economic gain. 



Pi'uning accounted for about 26 per cent, of the total of all man 

 labor up to harvest (Table 4) ; but on individual farms the time on 

 pruiung varied from 15 to 68 per cent. Tiie hours of man labor per 

 1,000 trees put on pruning in individual orchards indicate little uni- 

 formity between farms or between the different years on the same farm. 



As shown in Table 5, Orchard 2 had a high amount of labor per 

 1,000 mature tree units for all three years — 911, 1,264, 1,145 respective- 

 1}', or an average of 1,111 hours — nearly double the average of all 

 farms. Farm 12 had high labor requirements in pruning on account 

 of purchase of an adjoining orchard which needed more pruning. 

 Then, too, since there was nothing but orchard work on this farm the 

 labor had little alternative use. 



