PRUNING 
23 
Liming often necessary to add lime to the soil. Lime is not a 
necessary element to the plant, but the soil is very complex, 
and must not only contain certain elements, but must be in certain shape 
before the trees will thrive. A sour soil is one lacking in lime. Lime not 
only sweetens the soil, but it improves the condition and helps to make it 
more like a loam, so that it will hold moisture better and be easier to 
cultivate. 
Lime can be added in two ways, either as burnt lime or as ground 
limestone. Burnt lime should not be used on thin, sandy soil, as it tends 
to burn out the humus. On such soil it is better to use finely ground 
limestone. It is cheaper, and you can use 1,000 to 3,000 pounds to the 
acre without hurting your soil. 
Quicklime is used at the rate of 500 to 2,000 pounds to the acre. 
Wood ashes contain about 40 per cent lime. They also contain 1 to 
2 per cent of phosphorus. Wood ashes are rich in potash, having 5 to 6 
per cent of this element. However, if they are exposed to rain, most of 
the potash will "leach" out. Coal ashes are of no value. 
Nitrate of Remarkable results have been obtained on poor soils in 
^ J many commercial apple-growing districts with nitrate of 
oOaa soda. Greater production and increased vigor are quickly 
apparent. About four pounds per tree are scattered broadcast on the 
ground halfway from the trunk to the ends of the branches, and some- 
times the same distance beyond the branches. Some apply the nitrate 
when the blossoms are showing pink, and others in February or March. 
Write to your State Agricultural Experiment Station. 
Pruning 
General There are certain general principles which should be kept 
Tj . • 1 c mind in pruning fruit trees and vines, whether it be apple 
r'rincipieS trees, peach trees, plums, or grape vines. Pruning, as a 
whole, is the means of adapting the tree or vine and its individual 
branches to the conditions about it. 
In pruning we take advantage of certain habits of the tree and shape 
to produce a larger quantity of high quality fruit, when, if left to itself, 
the tree would produce inferior fruit. 
In a damp, moist climate, such as is found along the Atlantic 
Coast and near the Great Lakes, apple trees are generally pruned with- 
open heads to let in as much sunlight as possible. 
In a clear, hot climate, like California, Arizona, and the Southern 
States, the heads of the trees are thicker and the branches are covered, so 
that the shade will afford some protection for the branches and trunk 
against the hot sunlight. In a hot climate the fruit will color up in the 
center of the tree, even where it is more or less shaded. 
AH fruit trees should be pruned with medium or low heads. Low- 
headed trees are easier to care for and the fruit can be picked at less 
expense. This is especially true of peaches. 
Many of the large peach-growers train their trees so as to have all 
the branches within 12 inches of the ground, and they force the tops to 
spread out, so most of the fruit can be picked without the aid of a ladder. 
Peach trees are also pruned each year to reduce the amount of bear- 
ing wood. In this way there is not much fruit that has to be thinned out 
later on. 
The first fruit growers did very little pruning; then they found that 
by thinning out their trees somewhat they were able to get more fruit of 
better quality; then they went to pruning very heavily and went to the 
extreme. Now, both in the East and in the West, the growers are doing 
less pruning. They take the tree when it is young and shape it the way 
