40c 



rraxciPLES and practice cf pruning 



50 per cent or more of the tree positions vacant, would be 

 too great to make the venture profitable; the trees may 

 have grown so tall and become so bare below from close 

 planting and improper pruning that their tops cannot be 

 lowered with reasonable assurance of success, even when 

 the removal of each alternate tree would leave the 

 balance spaced properly. Such points as these can be 

 determined only after examination of the trees and the 

 orchard area tliey occupy. To fill vacancies with young 



trees is by no means a 

 sane practice in all or 

 even in many cases; 

 for the combination of 

 old and young trees in 

 a given area is sure to 

 be unsatisfactory — the 

 old trees will die or 

 will have to be cut out 

 at irregular intervals, 

 and if their places are 

 filled by new trees the 

 manage ment of the 

 orchard will be diffi- 

 cult, to say the least. 

 Far better choose a 

 new area, as a rule, and 

 start afresh with young 

 trees. 



315. Renovationproblemsother than pruning. — Besides 

 the mere pruning and handling of the trees themselves, 

 several questions must be considered in orchard renova- 

 tion. Among them are the general thrift and health of 

 the trees as afi^ected by insects and diseases. Examina- 

 tion will show whether trees are affected by borers, San 

 Jose or other scales, fire blight of pear and quince, black 



FIG. 315— OLD PEACH TREE 

 REJUVENATION 



BEFORE 



