194 STATE BOARD OF HORTrCULTURE. 



the places where to cut to eliminate the top. When this is 

 done the top of the tree, looking down into it, will look like 

 the inside of an inverted cone, and the tree may be called 

 open-centered. 



If the trees are small, cut out all limbs that extend up from 

 the center of the tree at an angle greater than forty-five 

 degrees from the horizontal. The tree in appearance will then 

 be proportionately the same as the older tree above described, 

 and can be trained gradually to the same limit of lieight. 



The after-treatment of an open-centered tree, whatever its 

 size, resolves itself into two distinct operations: the treatment 

 of the hollow top, and the training of the main branches. 



The hollow, cone-shaped opening in the top of the tree will 

 soon be filled with shoots springing from buds on the main 

 limbs, these buds being now exposed to the sun and excited 

 into growth. Some of these shoots will stop growing when 

 from six to twelve inches long, and will harden up and form 

 fruit spurs. Others of these shoots will continue to grow at 

 their terminal bud, retaining the color and appearance of tender 

 sucker growth. When all have grown long enough to show 

 their character, cut out the suckers and leave the fruit spurs. 

 As a result, the saucer-like top of the tree will in time be 

 clothed with short spurs, shading the main limbs, and bearing 

 fruit of finest quality. The top, before a dense thicket, is now 

 made fruitful, without in any way interfering with the remain- 

 ing (most fruitful) branches. With each growth the suckers 

 will for some years persist in coming, but are easy to take out 

 as soon as they show their identity. 



The treatment of the lower branches which remain is the 

 same as if the top had not been removed. If the tree has been 

 well trained from the start its skeleton will consist of three or 

 four strong main branches leaving the trunk near the ground, 

 and running out more or less horizontally; and one or two 

 more sets or decks of the same number of branches, leaving the 

 trunk above these and extending out at an angle of from thirty 

 to forty-five degrees. These limbs will have been pruned back 

 at intervals, and, forming forks at each pruning, will be found 

 to support an increasing number of branches as the outside of 

 the tree is approached. 



The problem is how to handle the new growth on the tips of 

 these branches. In solving this problem we should keep in 



