55 



Fig. 3. Well pruned open headed Winesap — 9 years old. 



Figure 3 shows a tree that has been well pruned from the first. 

 Its head is sufficiently o])en to admit air and sunlight, the tree can 

 be thoroughly sprayed and the fruit harvested without the picker 

 climbing through a pile of brush. Contrast this tree with the one 

 ^hown in Figure 4 which is about 8 years old and has not been 

 pruned since it was planted. Xote the exceedingly dense head that 

 admits neither air nor sunlight. And further, thorough spraying 

 is a practical impossibility. 



There is a great deal of difference in the habit of trees, and 

 that is just where one of the difficulties comes in pruning. Every 

 tree is a problem to itself. When it comes to spraying you can 

 tell a man you want every part of the tree covered, and you can 

 give him Rule of Thumb methods, and if he is willing to clo as he 

 is told, he ought not to have much difficulty in getting it accomplish- 

 ed. Not so with pruning, you must be on the job all the time. 



Mr. Anderson. Is it not important to kr.ow how^ the pruning 

 should be done? Would it not be unwise, for instance, to give 

 the tree shown in Figure 4 too vigorous a pruning at one time ? 



Mr. Gould. Yes. It is a general principle in pruning trees 

 that heavy cutting away of wood during the dormant season tends 

 to promote wood growth while summer pruning tends to the forma- 

 tion of fruit buds. This should be kept constantly in mind. If a 

 tree, such as is shown in Figure 4, is to be pruned to thin it out 

 and to get it into a more desirable condition, it would be exceedingly 

 unwise to proceeed with the idea of reducing the top to the de- 

 sired extent at a single pruning. To do so v,'ould result in an ex- 

 cessive wood growth next season. At least two seasons, and per- 

 haps better three seasons, should be' taken in which to reduce the 



