84 THE “GAR DE N MM AGGeARZISNGie 
rights may be left and the branching 
end of the limb removed. 
On the old upright branches that have 
grown too tall, healthy young growth 
with a lateral tendency should be se- 
lected and the tops of the old branches 
cut out. Comparatively few of the 
young limbs or sprouts should be saved 
—only sufficient to form the framework 
of the new tree, although there may be 
many just as good as these that must be 
ruthlessly cut away. The job must not 
be overdone, however, at the first cut- 
ting. In some cases, all that may be 
necessary in the work of remaking the 
tree can be done at the first operation, 
but generally it will be better to do it 
in two or three; a too severe cutting of 
trees that are in vigorous growth may 
do permanent injury. With old stock- 
bound, sod-bound trees whose growth 
has practically come to a standstill 
there is not so much danger. Where 
the treatment is to be gradual all the 
new growth, “water sprouts,” and so 
forth, except what is wanted for the 
new head, should be cut out. Part of 
the old branches should be cut out at 
first, removing more of them the follow- 
ing season. 
Frequently the trunk of the tree as 
well as the limbs has been eaten into by 
decay to such an extent that a thorough 
job of repairing must be done before 
the tree is re-started. This is work for 
the expert, usually. 
CHANGING OVER 
Where but a few, or unsatisfactory 
varieties of trees, have been started, it 
requires little additional work to pro- 
duce not only a practically new tree 
but also different kinds of apples on it. 
This is done by the operation of graft- 
ing, not nearly so complicated as it 
seems from a description. Grafting is 
especially. desirable for the very small 
place where there is room for but a few 
trees, as several varieties of good apples 
may be grown on the same tree. Graft- 
Volunteer wild apple, strong and healthy but useless. 
Graft it over to a known variety of merit 
ing may also be found useful in making 
use of wild or “volunteer” apple trees, 
or of new growth of cut down trees of 
unknown varieties. 
It sometimes happens that the trunk 
as well as the branches of an old tree 
is so far gone that it is not worth sav- 
ing; even so a new tree may be made 
from the old one much more quickly 
than it can be grown. Cut the old tree 
off close to the ground. As soon as the 
resultant crop of sprouts is well started, 
cut away all but two of them and at the 
end of the season remove the least 
promising of these. If the variety is 
unknown or unsatisfactory, any kind or 
kinds desired may be budded or grafted 
on the second or third season. This will 
give you, of course, literally a new 
young tree which must be cared for just 
as one which you would set out. Cut it 
off at the proper height to form a low 
This is “dehorning”’ and grafting over an old tree. 
Such radical treatment is not always to be recom- 
mended. Note two or three cions (as a precaution) 
and the thorough encasing of the wound 
spreading head and keep it pruned to an 
open centre and to a good form. 
In getting new trees, started as des- 
scribed above, to attain a vigorous 
growth, supplemental care of several 
kinds must be given. Old neglected 
trees are usually sod-bound, and this 
condition should be one of the first 
things remedied. Where there are but 
a few trees, and it will not pay to have 
the ground plowed, remove the sod with 
a spade, pile it to one side, fork the 
ground up thoroughly, enriching it with 
a generous application of bone, potash 
and nitrate of soda and replace the sod 
inverted to serve as a mulch. Don’t be 
‘afraid of breaking roots near the sur- 
face; if they are in the way, cut them 
off clean with an axe or a saw. If the 
soil has not been stirred for a number 
of years, particularly if it is heavy in 
character, it may be effectively loosened 
up with several light blasts (a quarter 
of a stick to each) of dynamite; this 
should be placed about as far away from 
the tree as the longest branches reach. 
The old loose bark should be scraped 
from the large limbs and the trunk. If 
San José or oyster shell scale are pres- 
ent, a thorough spraying with lime- 
Marcu, 1916 
Illustrating 
the method of 
covering the 
union with 
grafting wax. 
On the left one 
cion has been 
removed 
sulphur or a misci- 
ble oil like Scali- 
cide should be given, 
when the trees are 
dormant. In the case 
of old, long neglected 
trees it may be well to 
repeat this a number of 
times. Any decayed or 
mummied fruit on the ground 
must be be carefully cleaned 
up and destroyed. Any neigh- 
boring apple trees which it is 
not intended to fix up and to care 
for should be cut to the ground, 
otherwise they will serve as harboring 
places to supply the trees which you do 
want with insects and diseases as fast 
as you conquer the ones which may now 
infest them. 
In repairing old wounds and cavities 
caused by former neglected pruning, 
clear out everything back to clean, firm 
growing wood. Even if you have to re- 
move valuable limbs or half the trunk 
to do so. It is absolute waste of time to 
patch up the surface of such a cavity 
while the interior remains in such a 
condition to continue to go on decaying. 
After cleaning out allow it to dry thor- 
oughly, give a coat of creosote paint 
and put in a cement filling. In the case 
of a cavity starting at the crotch or 
head and eating down into the heart of 
the trunk, it may be necessary to make 
one or more holes through the side of 
the tree in order to clean it out thor- 
oughly. 
II. Top-Working Poor Fruit 
Trees 
J. R. Matrern 
T FIRST glance it would seem 
that a fruit tree once started on 
its career would be unchangeably 
set in its habits as to the fruit it 
bore. If the tree grew sour apples, for 
instance, what hope could there be for 
persuading it to grow Staymans instead? 
Yet you can get poor trees to mend 
their ways by a slight surgical opera- 
tion. And the operation is so easy to 
perform and so sure of the desired re- - 
sults that there is no excuse for allow- 
ing fruit trees about your home to pro- 
duce fruit of inferior varieties—of poor 
flavor or color or size, or ripening at a 
time you do not prefer. The way to 
change your trees over to new sorts is 
to top-work them. You can do it your- 
self, and you may have any varieties 
you wish—the very finest. 
Top-working is nothing more nor less 
than budding or grafting in the tops or 
branches of trees. You take a twig 
from the kind of tree you want, and in- 
sert it between or under the bark of the 
tree you have. Or you take a bud from 
the tree you want to duplicate, and in- 
