PRUNING 87 



plant life. Consequently, if by pruning we 

 urge the tree into more vigorous growth, we 

 can not expect a prompt return in the matter 

 of fruit. On the other hand, we know that old 

 trees are sometimes brought into bearing by a 

 fairly severe pruning. How then can those two 

 seemingly contradictory statements be brought 

 together? In the first place there must have 

 been some reason for the old tree to cease bear- 

 ing. If this reason is that the fruit spurs were 

 being starved by the lack of light for the leaves, 

 then the use of the pruning saw would correct 

 the condition and a crop of fruit might be the 

 result. 



The pruning of an apple tree begins at 

 the time it is planted. Usually only two types 

 of trees are used for planting in an orchard — 

 either one- or two-year-old trees. (We should 

 bear in mind, too, that in speaking of nursery 

 stock we refer to the age of the top of the tree. 

 Often a one-year-old tree will be on two- or 

 even three-year-old roots. After the tree is 

 planted in the orchard we count its age from 

 the time it is planted and do not include the 

 years it stood in the nursery.) 



A one-year-old tree will consist of a single 

 stem — a ''whip" — from three to six feet tall. 

 The pruning of such a tree is a simple matter 

 as it consists of shortening the whip to a stub 

 two or three feet long. Probably the ideal dis- 



