230 



PRUNING 



Regular annual pruning should be practiced, in order to 

 keep the trees open so that efficient spraying can be done, 

 so that sunlight can reach all parts of the trees to assist in 

 carbohydrate manufacture and the coloring of fruit, so that 

 limb rub of fruit will be reduced, good growth assured in all 

 parts of the tree, good size of fruit maintained, and so that 

 the tops of the trees will not get too high. 



3. Selecting the Pruning Tools. The kinds of pruning 

 tools used vary in the different sections of the country. The 

 tools most commonly found are saws, knives, hand shears, 

 long-handled shears, and pole pruners. 



Saws. In the West the swivel blade or meat saw type of 

 saw. Fig. 77, C, D, E, is used to a great extent but it has never 

 been universally adopted. In the East, many growers use a 

 straight-bladed saw which is somewhat similar to a carpenter's 

 saw but not so wide at the butt, with fewer points or teeth, 

 Fig. 77, Gy H, J. A satisfactory saw for general pruning is 

 one about 2 feet long, 1 inch wide at the tip, and 4 inches wide 

 at the butt, containing 6 to 7 teeth per inch. It should have a 

 handle large enough to accommodate the entire hand with 

 gloves on. Such a saw can be used even in narrow crotches and 

 will be satisfactory for both small and large limbs. If it is 

 necessary to make many large cuts, as often happens when 

 renovating an old orchard, it will pay to have a forester's 

 type of saw, which is heavier and has fewer and larger teeth. 

 Such a saw cuts through the large limbs more easily and 

 saves the energy of the man who is doing the sawing. The 

 crescent-shaped type of saw, which cuts when the saw is pulled 

 (Fig. 77F), is especially satisfactory for branches of medium 

 size or where there is little room in which to use a saw. A 

 two-edged saw should never be used in the orchard, as it is 

 bound to c-ause injury to the bark. Shorter and narrower 

 saws with pointed ends may be of value in young trees. 

 Frequently, however, one can do as good a job and a much 

 quicker one with a pair of hand shears. 



Knives and Pruning Shears. For small trees, a heavy 



