Cut down and make the tops of trees as even and level as 

 possible, as shown on page 16. It is on the long shoots in the 

 tops of the trees that the San Jose scale spreads, and these are 

 difficult to reach in spraying. 



The rest of the tree may be well sprayed but the few live 

 scales left on the tall shoots, breed and descend, and by picking- 

 time a large number of apples will be marked by them. Prune 

 the tops down to a level when this loss will be prevented. 



A good pruner needs to be somewhat of an artist or archi- 

 tect. He must have a sense of form and be able to keep in mind 

 an ideal of the future shape of the tree that will result from the 

 pruning to be done in a period of five to ten years, during which 

 time the tree is being given proper form, that is to last for 

 a century or more of time. 



In pruning dwarf-trees, start the branches down within six- 

 teen inches of the ground and keep the tops down. Allow Par- 

 adise trees to reach ten feet in height only, and Doucin not 

 above eighteen feet. Cut back the annual growth one-half, and 

 thin out the branches so as to have the trees well opened, that 

 the sun may shine on all parts of the foliage and fruit. 



Pruning as late as possible — the last of May — will have a 

 tendency to check the growth somewhat and keep the tree more 

 easily dwarfed. Pruning when the trees are dormant — in the 

 winter — will promote growth, but when done late in the spring 

 even after the foliage has come out, will check excessive 

 growth of wood, which with dwarf trees is necessary. This will 

 also apply to standard trees but there is usually not the time to 

 do pruning in large orchards in May. 



Spraying 



With the great increase of insects and of tree and plant dis- 

 eases, spraying for their control has become a necessity and is 

 now a regular part of orchard work. 



There are over three hundred different kinds of insects that 

 prey upon apple trees and their fruit. Some of these cause 

 enormous annual losses but they may be brought under control. 



It becomes quite necessary to understand the object of spray- 

 ing — when — with what — and how it should be done. 



There are two purposes for which spraying is done one, 



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