90 FRUIT-GROWING 



must first have a few scaffold branches to form 

 the basic framework of our structure. These 

 should start as strong vigorous sprouts from 

 the main trunk and should be so distributed on 

 the trunk that no bad crotches are formed. 

 (I am idealizing this, of course, because every 

 grower has some trees with bad crotches. Like 

 the poor they are always with us and we must 

 have charity for them — and for the grower who 

 starts them.) If the two-year-old tree does not 

 have these foundation branches already well 

 formed I would favor pruning it to a stub in 

 much the same way that we pruned the year- 

 ling. You may be told that to do this is im- 

 practical because the stub has no buds from 

 which to form new branches. Don't worry 

 about the lack of buds. They will show up 

 where you least expect them and you will even- 

 tually get what you desire in the way of a scaf- 

 fold on which to hang your fruiting limbs. 



How many scaffold branches should we have 

 on an apple tree? You can ask that question 

 and get quite a variety of answers, but my own 

 judgment in the matter is to plan for not less 

 than three nor more than six. Five is perhaps 

 an ideal number and while three may seem to 

 leave a pretty spare framework still such a 

 start will often result in a most excellent tree. 



Of course, in planting a two-year-old tree, the 

 scaffold branches that are left should alwavs be 



