CHAPTER X 



PRUNING YOUNG TREES^'= 



153. Disappointments attributed to pruning. t — Many 

 orchardists growing young trees have been disappointed 

 with the results obtained from pruning. While these dis- 

 appointments may be due, on the one hand, to a lack of 

 knowledge of fundamental principles \vhich underly prun- 

 ing, on the other hand, we belie\e much of the dissatis- 

 faction is because the grower has expected too much from 



pruning alone, and has 

 failed to realize the im- 

 portance of other or- 

 chard practices — irriga- 

 tinn, tillage, mainten- 

 ance of soil fertility, 

 etc. 



Nil matter how skill- 

 fully we prun.e for 

 fruitfulness, unless we 

 ha\-e such soil condi- 

 tions as to furnish suffi- 

 cient food and moisture 

 at the right time to de- 

 \'eliip good, strong 

 buds, we cannot expect 

 to secure satisfactor}- 

 residts. Again. we 

 must realize that soil. 



FIG. 145— BADLY FORMED TREE, HEAD 

 Ne\'er start the main limbs in this manner. 

 They should issue in a spiral whorl with 4 to 

 12 or 15 inches between one limb and the 

 next one above. Such an arrangement will 

 prevent bad crotches and will greatly 

 strengthen the tree. 



* Paragraphs 153 to 177 have been somewhat condensed from the article bv 

 Profesor C. I. Lewis in Bulletin No. 130, of the Oregon Experiment Station. With 

 s'ight modifications, indicated in brackets or cross referenced to other parts of this 

 \'olume by the present author, the methods apply to a \ery considerable area of the 

 United States and Canada. 



t As noted in paragraph 172 the directions given in paragraphs 153 to 172 apply 

 chiefly to apple pruning, but also to all deciduous fruits and nuts. Specific direc- 

 tions for these other fruits arc in paragraphs 173 to 177. 



