290 
winds and their trunks are not so likely to 
be affected by “sun scald.” 
The best time to settle this question is 
at the time of selecting the nursery stock. 
Much may be done, however, in the way of 
severe heading-in. Many trees that were 
originally low headed have become high 
headed owing to the close planting and 
crowding. The only treatment for such a 
condition is to cut out half of the trees 
and “dehorn’’ the remaining ones. 
Some varieties, like Sutton and Yellow 
Transparent, are naturally upright grow- 
ers and are kept down only by very careful 
and persistent treatment. In the first 
place the trees of such varieties cannot 
be headed too low. The branches should 
be started at, or very near, the surface 
of the ground. Much may be done during 
the first few years by careful training, 
cutting back the successive annual 
growths to about one-third of their length 
and always cutting back to a bud or 
branch pointing outward or downward. 
The greatest progress will be made after 
the trees commence to bear, for at this 
time the weight of a crop tends to bring 
the branches down. The important point, 
therefore, is to induce fruit-bearing as 
early as possible. Summer pruning, as 
described under another head, is probably 
the most effective way of inducing fruit- 
fulness. 
The Open Center 
We hear a great deal these days about 
the tree with the open center. The object 
of the open center in apple trees is to ad- 
mit more sunlight andin this way produce 
more highly-colored fruit. Inasmuch as 
the greater part of the fruit is borne on 
the surface of the tree, the important 
point is to develop as far as possible a 
tree with the maximum surface exposed 
to the light. A tree with a broad cone- 
shaped top probably gives the greatest ex- 
posed area, and this is in opposition to 
the open center idea. While opening up 
the center will likely give additional col- 
or to a few apples in the center of the tree 
and will admit of a better circulation of 
air, it is a question whether it would not 
be better to open the tree moderately on 
all sides. If it is good to open up the 
top, the same should apply to any portion 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
of the tree. In sections where tiees are 
likely to “scald” the open center exposes 
the branches to the direct 1ajs ot the 
sun, and for this reason is objectionable. 
While the writer does not approve ot open 
center methods as practiced by the extrem- 
ist, he favors the removal of the high 
central leader usually found in neglected 
trees. In such cases the new growth soon 
fills up the space and protects the exposed 
branches from the sun. 
Which Branches Should Be Removed 
The inexperienced pruner will have 
trouble in deciding which branches should 
be cut out and which should be left Any- 
one may become proficient in the work if 
he will study the effects of different kinds 
of treatment. The most common error 1s 
in leaving too much brush on the tree. A 
tree in winter may seem to be well opened 
up, but will often appear very different 
when the tree is in foilage, and the oper- 
ator should keep this constantly in mind. 
Removing brush from a tree may greatly 
reduce the number of apples without re- 
ducing the yield. In this respect pruning 
is a thinning process. Trees that are 
bearing regularly and that are not being 
over nourished will not require much 
pruning. This is one reason—and there 
are many others—why an even growth 
should be maintained. The branches to 
be removed are mainly those that inter- 
fere with other branches. It should be 
the aim to have an even distribution of 
branches with abundant space between 
them for the free circulation of air. In 
selecting between two branches that in- 
terfere with one another the most de- 
sirable one should be retained, keeping 
in mind convenience in spraying, har- 
vesting, and the other operations. Other 
things being equal, the lower one usually 
should be retained. Besides relieving the 
crowding, all objectionable cross branches 
in the center of the tree and all dead and 
diseased branches should be removed. 
The rapidly growing shoots, especially 
at the top of the tree, should be cut back 
with a view of maintaining a symmet- 
rical structure. Water-sprouts around the 
base of the tree should be removed. 
Those found on the main branches should 
