The Second Year 183 



work for the future fruiting surface. In those regions 

 where excessive wood growth is a normal or usual condi- 

 tion the winter pruning will not need to be as heavy as 

 where the rainfall is light and trees do not make as vig- 

 orous growth without stimulation. 



When planting one-year-old apple trees there is little 

 likelihood of getting trees that are forked, but in older stock 

 some of the trees will be forked, with the two leaders of 

 nearly the same size. If trees of that sort are planted they 

 will usually result in one of the limbs being split off 

 when it is loaded with fruit. In planting forked trees the 

 possibility of future breaking down of one side can be en- 

 tirely done away with by cutting back one of the branches 

 of the fork to a strong bud near the base, or by cutting 

 the limb out entirely. In pruning off the other limbs, cut 

 them back to a bud that points in the direction it is desired 

 the new limb shall take. 



The Second Year 



During the first year in the orchard there is little prun- 

 ing necessary aside from the shortening in of the tree at 

 the time it is planted, but beginning with the second year 

 some definite system needs to be adopted and followed 

 out. In this respect there are two general systems or 

 shapes for the commercial apple trees, one of them being 

 the pyramidal and the other vase. The pyramidal tree 

 means one in which the central branch or branches have 

 not been removed, and which of necessity makes a tree 

 that soon becomes very tail, and unless carefully tended 

 and pruned in later years will carry the greatest portion 

 of its crop high above the ground. To shape trees after 

 this fashion, the main central branch of the young tree 

 should be allowed to grow; the only pruning that should 

 ever be given it being just enough to shorten it somewhat 

 each year, and thin cut the side branches upon it so as to 

 keep them well distributed. 



The vase shaped tree seems to be of Western origin, 

 and requires a low head. This shape may be better called 



