42 



FIELD NOTES OX APPLE CULTJUE. 



tlirce or four years the free ends may be cut off. In a few 

 years they will be united into a perfectly solid bar across 

 the crotch (figure 5). Twigs from the size of a lead pencil 

 to the size of one's finger unite most readily. All tlie 

 larger crotches of an apple tree may be braced in this 

 manner, and injury from splitting will be mostly avoided. 

 When a large branch shows signs of splitting, one can- 



Fig. 5.— LIVING BRACE IN A CROTCH. 



not wait for the growing together of small limbs. In sucli 

 cases iron bolts must be used. Much damage to trees 

 can be averted if bolts are used as soon as a weakness is 

 discovered. Half-inch rods of considerable lengtli may 

 also be run through the branches at some distance above 

 their junction. When crotches have been split entirely 



