190 



The Principles of Fruit-growing 



Great Lakes. Jarvis (Conn. Bull. No. 62) writes as follows 

 on this subject for New England conditions: "During 

 recent years the difficulty of getting properly shaped trees 

 has been greatly lessened, for the nurserymen are now 

 heading their trees much lower. The low-headed tree is 



now generally preferred. For 

 most varieties the head should 

 be formed about 2 feet above 

 the ground, but with those 

 varieties like Rhode Island 

 Greening and Tolman, that 

 are naturally spreading, the 

 head may be started higher, 

 and with varieties like the 

 Yellow Transparent, that are 

 naturally upright growers, the 

 head may be started much 

 lower." Fig. 41 shows a tree 

 that Jarvis considers to be 

 started too high. Fig. 42 

 shows what has been the pre- 

 vailing type of stout long- 

 bodied American nursery tree. 

 In the country west of the 

 Great Lakes, low heads are 

 advised. "For Iowa conditions," according to Erwin and 

 Bliss, "a low-headed tree is to be desired for a number of 

 reasons. The fruit is much easier to pick, the spraying 

 can be done more thoroughly, there are less windfalls, and 

 the tree is also less liable to sunscald. The first branches 

 should be formed 20 to 24 inches above the ground. If the 

 tree is headed too high when it comes from the nur- 

 sery it can be cut back." 



FIG. 40. Pruning the newly set tree. 



