34 SUMMER PRUNING— DISTANCES— SOIL 
Summer Pruning. Pruning at a certain time during the summer, 
when the leaves are on the trees, tends to check the wood growth and 
hasten the formation of fruit buds. A vigorous-growing young tree is 
sometimes slow coming into bearing, and summer pruning is often used to 
check the growth and start the trees to producing fruit. No large 
branches are cut at this time (none over ^to % inch in diameter). 
The pruning is done after the tree has made its growth, in the first 
part of the summer, when the new shoots form terminal buds. This is 
usually about the time of what is known as the "June drop," when the 
young apples are about 1 inch in diameter. The method of pruning is the 
same as used during the winter-time, and the same effort is made to 
improve the shape of the tree. 
Planting Distances 
The usual distance for apple tree is 36 feet apart. On very thin soils 
and for slow-growing varieties, such as Duchess and Wealthy, and for 
upright-growing varieties, such as Yellow Transparent, Wagener, and 
Wilson Red, 28 to 30 feet is the distance generally used. 
For strong-growing varieties, especially in the northeastern part of 
the country, trees are planted 40 and sometimes 45 feet apart. Where 
these greater distances are used the grower does not prune back his tree, 
but lets it get very large, which it will do in a cool, moist climate in a 
fertile soil. However, it is hard to prune, spray, and pick fruit on these 
very tall trees, and most growers prefer, by planting closer, and by prun- 
ing back and thinning, to keep the tree from growing too large. When 
a number of dilleient varieties are planted in an orchard, they should 
be planted uniform distances apart to aid in cultivation. For number of 
trees per acre, see page 20. For method of laying out the orchard, see 
page 12. 
Soil 
For apple trees a fertile loam is generally preferred. However, there 
are almost innumerable exceptions. Some of the best and most profit- 
able apple orchards are along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, where 
the soil is composed almost entirely of sand. Many good orchards are 
located in the Ozark country, where the soil is a mixture of stiff clay 
and loose flint rock. The most important thing is to have a soil that is 
well drained and the total depth of the dirt at least 3 feet, the deeper 
the better. For further information in regard to soil, see page 11. 
Cultivation of Orchard 
The advantage and necessity of cultivation are so well known it is 
not necessary to go into them here. There are some growers who follow 
the special sod mulch system, but it has not proved generally satisfactory, 
and it is not to be generally recommended, except on the steep hillsides, 
where the ground washes badly. 
Plow the orchard in the early spring, just as soon as the ground is 
dry enough to work. Use an ordinary turning plow. Follow the plow 
with a spiked harrow or a cutaway disc if the ground is rough, then go 
over this with a smoothing harrow or a drag. Then cultivate the orchard 
often enough to conserve all possible moisture. 
The Planet Junior cultivator or smoothing harrow can be used for 
this purpose. The object is to maintain 3 to 4 inches of loose mulch on 
top of the ground. On very rocky land it is necessary to use a spring- 
tooth cultivator; on sandy land there are several different cultivators that 
are preferred in different sections of the country. Whenever there is a 
hard packing rain the soil should be gone over with a disc harrow to 
loosen it up, and then the weekly cultivations continued with a general 
cultivator. This system of cultivation keeps down the weeds, retains 
the moisture, and promotes the growth of the orchard. 
