Pruning Mature Trees 



117 



FIG. 35. Heavy 

 Pruning Shears. 



only objection the writers have to this tool is that the 



primer sometimes gets careless and leaves stubs. There 



is a type of heavy shears on the market 



that has two cutting edges instead of 



one, but it seems to do no better work. 



The pruner finds very little use for 



a knife in pruning mature trees, and 



seldom carries a special pruning knife. 



Several types of the long-handled tree 



pruners are on the market, but they 



are of little value in the commercial 



orchard. The pruner should be close 



to his work, and with a good ladder 



and short-handled tools he will do better 



work. 



Pruning the Apple 



With the young orchard well grown (see Chapter VII), 

 the pruner has probably solved the most difficult prob- 

 lem in the pruning of the apple tree. The principles 

 involved in the pruning of the old orchard are not com- 

 plicated. Nearly all our standard commercial varieties 

 of apple tend to overbear in the Far West, and one of the 

 first objects of the pruner should be to overcome this 

 tendency; the more prolific the variety, the heavier the 

 pruning. 



To be an intelligent pruner, one must also acquaint 

 himself with the habits of growth of the different varieties 

 as well as habits of fruit-bearing. Upright growers will 

 require pruning to spread them, and straggling growers 

 such heading-in as will make them grow more upright. 

 The head should be kept reasonably open and well supplied 



