PRUNING 77 



The principal forms into which the young tree may be 

 trained are : the vase or open-headed ; the delayed open center 

 or modified leader; the central leader or pyramidal type; and 

 the two-story.^ The vase-shaped tree is developed by select- 

 ing usually from three to six scaffold limbs that are to be 

 somewhat equal in importance and all of which are lateral 

 branches from the main stem or trunk, the central leader 

 being removed at planting time. These scaffold branches are 

 usually cut back to 4 to 8 or 10 inches in length at the time of 

 planting, provided the tree is two years old. If one year old, 

 the top is cut back to 20 to 30 inches in height and the scaffold 

 branches are selected from the initial ones sent out during the 

 ensuing summer, or the following spring when they receive 

 their first pruning and training. These branches are selected 

 radially about the stem, with no two opposite each other, the 

 idea here being that even cutting of these selected branches 

 will result in approximately even growth. Fig. 23, a. 



The delayed open center or modified-leader type of tree is 

 essentially different, in that the central leader is not removed 

 at planting time, but is allowed to remain and grow some 

 three or four feet higher than the scaffold in the vase- 

 shaped type. The terminal is then removed to prevent a full 

 leader tree from being formed. Along this axis the scaffold 

 branches are chosen, giving a better spacing and more 

 scaffolding than in the open center tree. The value of this 

 type is that the side or scaffold limbs are more strongly built 

 and not so likely to be broken out by a heavy crop as in the 

 case of the vase-shaped tree; it is gaining in favor in many 

 sections of the East. The chief objection is that the grower is 

 likely to allow too many branches to remain, resulting in a 

 dense tree with all its attendant difficulties. Fig. 23, h. 



' In addition to these four general types of training, the natural or 

 unpruned tree should perhaps be included, although this sort of neglect 

 is not common in commercial orchards. 



