IQO THE x^MRRICAN APPLE ORCHARD 



June of the same year another moderate pruning may 

 be given, removing interfering hmbs and opening the 

 heads somewhat to the action of the Hght. As a rule 

 it will be best to take out this time only about one- 

 third to one-half of the total amount of wood to be 

 removed, leaving the remainder to be taken out the 

 succeeding June. March will answer for this sort of 

 pruning also, but for this particular purpose June is 

 safer. Trees pruned at this time have not so strong a 

 tendency toward the formation of water sprouts. If 

 the trees are too tall, as is apt to be the case, it will 

 be well to head in the tops and side branches to some 

 extent. This will serve the same purpose, in some 

 degree, as opening up the center of the tree. Special 

 attention should be paid in all this pruning to the re- 

 moval of diseased and broken branches. As a rule 

 all these prunings should be taken out and burned. 



4. The trees should be scraped. The trunks and 

 most branches will always be found covered with more 

 or less old shaggy bark which furnishes a lodgment 

 for all sorts of insects and fungous spores. In order 

 to make spraying effective it is very desirable that this 

 old bark be removed. Dealers in horticultural im- 

 plements have for sale a triangular scraper made for 

 this express purpose ; or a satisfactory tool could be 

 made from an old hoe. 



5. Spraying must be regularly adopted. Thorough 

 and systematic spraying, according to the best and 

 strictest rules, must be kept up for a period of years in 

 order to overcome the results of that neglect from 

 which the trees have suffered. If the trees arc in- 

 fested with oyster shell bark, louse or with San Jose 

 scale the appropriate insecticides must be applied It 

 is also necessar\- under all circumstances to follow 



