276 The Commercial Apple Industry 



tip, the balance of the limb being a " boarder " and living 

 at the expense of the productive area. It is highly de- 

 sirable to have several well developed laterals along the 

 scaffold branches in order that the fruiting area may be 

 brought nearer the ground. 



TIME OF PRUNING 



No concrete rules can be laid down as to the best time 

 for pruning, as no one time will best meet all conditions. 

 Pruning in most sections may usually be practiced in any 

 favorable weather in the dormant season. 



In the Virginias and sections of the Pacific Coast, prun- 

 ing is done from November to early April, while in the 

 New England and middle western states, most of the 

 work is during the spring months. Generally speaking, 

 a slight preference should be given to pruning in late 

 winter and early spring, because the wounds heal over more 

 readily. Many growers are prejudiced against pruning 

 when the wood is frozen. Some maintain that drying out 

 or dying back is likely to result from early winter prun- 

 ing, but the writers do not know of serious injury of this 

 nature in bearing trees. 



If one has a large acreage to prune, he should start work 

 in the older trees in the early winter and reserve the 

 younger trees for the late winter and spring pruning. 

 Some growers hesitate to prune when growth is about to 

 start in the spring, feeling that injury may result from 

 bleeding. However, the writers know of no serious 

 injury resulting from pruning apple trees at this time. 



Summer pruning has received much attention in recent 

 years but the results of investigations have been somewhat 

 confusing. Summer pruning may be practiced to advan- 



