SPRAYING 133 



are of no consequence to the tree, as they are weak and often 

 poorly developed, due to the shading by the higher branches. 

 Most nursery trees are grown very close together, often 

 no more than two or three inches apart in the row. After 

 growth is well under way little sunshine gets through the 

 thick tops and the bottom branches are starved for the 

 want of food. This results in tall straight trees which 

 so delight the nurserymen. If the young plants were 

 allowed more room they would develop larger lateral 

 branches, the trunks would be less straight, the tree would 

 be oversized and in every way less desirable for a good 

 orchard tree. The trimming of the trunks is done near the 

 close of the growing season, leaving only a short time 

 for the healing of the wounds before the trees are dug. 

 A heavy knife with a curved blade is used for the pruning 

 work. The operator works from the ground upward with 

 short heavy strokes which require the use of both hands. 



Spraying. The nurseryman, like the fruit-grower, is 

 troubled 'with numerous insect pests and fungus diseases. 

 These must be controlled by careful attention to spray- 

 ing. Probably the worst of all the troubles of this kind 

 would be the San Jose scale and the Root Knot. Plant 

 lice sometimes become serious, while thrips and the 

 yellow or red mites are frequently troublesome in the more 

 arid regions of the southwest. The San Jose scale and the 

 Root Knot are especially bad from the ease with which 

 they may be carried with the nursery stock and spread 

 over the country wherever the stock may be shipped. 

 The former may be controlled by dormant sprays and 

 isolation of infected areas, while the latter is a bacterial 



