APPLES 
and ruin a good ore hard by not taking 
that into account.” This opinion, which 
is more or less prevalent, | have found 
to be absolutely without foundation as far 
as the simple removal of limbs 1s con- 
cerned. The opinion originated not in the 
practice, however, so much as in its abuse. 
To hack off limbs 1oughly, with a hatchet, 
and to attempt by means of hatchet or 
axe to convert low-headed trees into high- 
headed trees, is a sure means of produc- 
ing disastrous results. Orchards are fre- 
quently seen where such pruning has 
wrought sad havoc with otherwise good 
trees. Orchards have often been killed in 
this way. The mischief was in ignorance, 
not in pruning. 
Limbs of almost any size may be re- 
moved if the work is done right, while 
the removal of a branch one-half inch in 
diameter may result in injury if it is done 
badly. There is unquestionably a greater 
necessity for care and correct pruning 
here than in some other sections. There 
is more of a tendency of the bark to dry 
and die back in the case of stubs, and 
careless pruning, but if the work be done 
correctly pruning may be done here with- 
out any danger whatever, the same as in 
other sections of the country. Bad prun- 
ing is more common than correct prun- 
ing. Hence the origin of the present ideas 
concerning pruning, and the common ne- 
elect of this useful practice. 
Lately, in riding along the country 
road, the writer has seen several instances 
of “villainous work” in orchards, which 
the owner intended for pruning. Fresh 
stubs, varying in size from an inch to 
three inches in diameter, and as much 
as eight inches long, were visible in 
abundance from the road. Sometimes a 
good pruner, or the owner takes this 
method of marking limbs which he wants 
removed, leaving the stubs to be sawed 
off, by a cheaper man. I found myself 
hoping that this was the design in this 
instance, but from what I observed in 
many other instances, I fear I was indulg- 
ing a vain hope. 
Harly training of the top is frequently 
wholly neglected. The result is the pro- 
duction of unbalanced heads, limbs in 
287 
the wrong place, and the necessity for 
the removal of large linibs later when 
there is a likelihood of damage from 
sunscalding to portions of limbs, and de- 
cay in wounds. Attention to forming the 
head and keeping out unnecessary growth 
would conserve the energies of the tree, 
and remove the necessity of severe prun- 
ing so often considered necessary later. 
The nurseryman is concerned only in 
growing trees. His idea is not the or- 
chard, but a salable tree, and as many as 
he can grow on a given area. He usu- 
ally plants closely and the head formed 
is often high and poorly balanced. The 
orchardist should not depend on the nurs- 
eryman’s head in either sense. In this 
climate low heads, say started about three 
feet from the ground, are desirable. The 
interference with subsequent cultivation 
must be overcome by the use of suitable 
orchard implements. In shaping the 
young two-year tree the main stem or a 
strong branch, should be left for a leader. 
The side branches should be cut back to 
within a few inches of the main stem, 
leaving buds near the ends of the stubs 
on the side toward the gap which it is 
desired to fill by the growth to be made. 
About the second year from this trim- 
ming the leader may be cut back to in- 
duce branching; the idea being to distrib- 
ute what is to become a skeleton of the 
tree over about three feet. One of the 
more upright top branches should again 
be selected for a leader to continue the 
center of the tree upwards, and it is al- 
ways desirable to maintain this plan 
throughout the life of the tree. In the 
case of voung trees, removing a branch 
to the base leaves a gap on that side of 
the tree. Cutting back to a stub is done 
largely in proportion to the strength of 
the branch and may be used for filling 
gaps. Strong branches may be left long- 
er; weaker ones must be cut back closer, 
or to two, three, or four buds. 
Very great damage to trees is frequent- 
ly the result of bad, careless and untime- 
ly pruning. Many of the trees which 
have died the past season (1906), and 
having the appearance of trees killed by 
root-rot, were dead as a result of fungus 
diseases following the removal of limbs 
