CHAPTER XII 

 PRUNING AND THINNING 



PETJNTNO will always remain a field for independent and 

 individual study. Xo other orchard practice has aroused 

 in the minds of fruit-growers and horticulturists greater 

 variance in opinion. While investigators and observers 

 are in accord on many of the principles of pruning, their 

 application must always remain, to some extent, an indi- 

 vidual problem. An apple-grower would do well to study 

 pruning in the most productive orchards of his community 

 and observe the system that has been practiced on the best 

 and most productive trees. 



It is the purpose to give a brief description of the 

 several pruning practices in use in the more important 

 fruit-producing sections and to state briefly the advantages 

 and disadvantages of such practices. 



Before planting, the ends of all broken or injured roots 

 should be removed. This is done not with the idea of 

 shortening the roots, but with the view of leaving smooth 

 rather than broken and ragged root ends. Occasionally 

 a few roots may be removed so as to avoid crowding and 

 secure better distribution of the root system. 



Since a large proportion of the root system is removed 



when the tree is taken from the nursery, it is necessary to 



remove a portion of the top to restore a proper balance 



between the root system and top. Again, the removal of 



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