56 ESTABLISHING THE ORCHARD 



1. That it makes it easier to cultivate about the trees. There 

 is probably something in this argument but it has never seemed 

 very strong. To begin with, the advocates of a high head 

 exaggerate the difficulty of cultivating about a low headed tree. 

 The branches of a high headed tree tend to come out more nearly 

 at right angles so that they droop easily as they become heavy 

 with the weight of a crop, while the branches of a low headed 



FIG. 21. 



ime tree as shown in figures 19 

 and 20 after pruning. 



FIG. 22. Pruning a one-year "whip." The 

 tree is cut off at whatever height it is desired 

 to form the head. 



tree tend to take an upward slant so that they are not so much 

 in the way as might be expected, and they do not bend so easily 

 with their load of fruit. Then, too, the situation is very different 

 with the modern extension implements from what it was when it 

 was necessary for the team to get close up to the trunk of the 

 tree. It does not make very much difference to the tree whether 

 every weed is taken out from about the trunk or not. The feed- 



