90 THE APPLE 



By the time the apple tree is four years old, if it has been well 

 handled, the orchardist may begin to prune to promote fruit 

 production. Less severe cutting will aid materially in bringing 

 this about. 



The effect of pruning. Frequent cutting back or pruning of the 

 branches of the apple tree while it is young has a tendency to pre- 

 vent the growth of long, bare branches which are so characteristic 

 of old orchard trees. It has a tendency, as well, to prevent the 

 tree from growing too tall, thereby reducing the cost and difficulty 

 of spraying the tree and harvesting the fruit. Less propping is 

 necessary with the low-headed trees well pruned than with trees 

 having long framework branches. Since the main structural 

 branches of the former are larger in proportion to their length, 

 and the load of fruit is carried nearer the trunk, the trees are 

 therefore better able to carry any amount of fruit that may 

 develop. 



Influence on " off " years. Judicious pruning not only facilitates 

 the work of cultivation, spraying, and harvesting, but also deter- 

 mines to a great extent the fruiting habits of the tree ; in other 

 words, it is possible by proper pruning so to modify the quantity 

 of fruit-bearing wood of a tree that it will be practically impossible 

 for the tree to retain more fruits in any given season than the 

 root system is capable of supplying with a proper amount of nour- 

 ishment. Annual crops are more common and biennial crops less 

 frequent when such a balance between the fruit-bearing wood of 

 the tree and its root system is maintained. It is without doubt 

 true — as apple-growers are coming to believe — that the biennial 

 crop in many apple orchards is largely due to the fact that during 

 the crop year the trees are allowed to overbear, thereby reducing 

 their vitality so that they cannot carry a satisfactory load of apples 

 the succeeding year. 



What to do with thinnings. Sections of the tree removed by 

 pruning are often useful in the house. Being a hardwood, the 

 apple limbs and twigs make a hot fire of lasting quality. They 

 are especially well suited to the open fireplace, making one of the 

 prettiest of fires, and giving off an agreeable odor while burning. 



