23 



Pruning the Teee after Setting. 



If one-year trees have been set they will usually consist of 

 a straight whip, and the only question with regard to pruning 

 is the height at which this whip should be cut off. Opinions 

 vary on this, but probably most growers would say around 

 30 inches. Eighteen inches would be considered a very low 

 head, and 40 . inches a fairly high one, though many growers 

 head even higher than this. If the tree is a two-year tree, 

 the question of pruning it is considerably more complicated. 

 But, to begin with, all branches ought to be removed except 

 those which are wanted for scaffold branches, and these should 

 not be over five, and preferably three or four. These scaffold 

 branches should be well distributed around the central trunk 

 of the tree so as to give a well-balanced head, and a good 

 deal of time and thought ought to be given to this first 

 problem. When the superfluous branches have been removed, 

 then those remaining ought to be cut back from a third to 

 half their length. 



Cultivating the Orchard. 



As soon as possible after the trees are set, cultivation ought 

 to be begun in the orchard and kept up from that time until 

 about the first week in July. For this cultivation one of the 

 V-shaped cultivators is perhaps as good as anything, and 

 the land should be worked with it every week or ten days in 

 order to keep up a good dust mulch and to keep down all 

 weeds. Everything possible should be done to protect the 

 trunks of the trees from damage through this cultivation. 

 This means a steady horse, a careful man, and padding the 

 ends of the whiffletree with an old bag in order to prevent 

 the trees from being barked if the whiffletree accidentally 

 touches them. 



In addition to the cultivating some hoeing may be necessary 

 provided weeds are abundant. But, on the other hand, with 

 good cultivation, upon land not too much infested by weeds, 

 the cultivator may do all the work that is necessary. 



