50 
The Garden Magazine, March, 1924 
crotches. Always remove narrow-angled branches while they 
are small. In subsequent pruning, leave as many as possible 
of the smaller twigs and shoots to clothe the branches; for they 
promote stocky, vigorous growth, and earlier bearing. 
Light Pruning for Early Bearing 
I N handling young non-bearing trees: remember that heavy 
pruning promotes the growth of abundant sprouts and much 
new wood and delays bearing: while, conversely, light pruning, 
results in a larger tree, and earlier bearing. I vividly recall an 
example of this shown by Dr. U. P. Hedrick of the N. Y. Agricul¬ 
tural Experiment Station at Geneva: one group of Baldwin trees, 
about eight years of age, had been heavily pruned and to that 
date had produced no fruit; whereas an adjoining block that had 
been lightly pruned had produced considerable fruit; and a third 
block, left unpruned , had produced most heavily! 
Similarly in Hammonton, N. J., Mr. Chas. Fitting planted 
out an Apple orchard consisting of about one hundred Stayman 
trees nine years ago. Being an extensive grower of Peaches, he 
pruned these trees heavily, heading them back somewhat in the 
side branches to a quarter or third 
is done after the first year’s growth 
to promote sturdiness. During the 
following non-bearing years only a 
very light thinningof excess branches 
and sprouts is given, keeping the 
leader dominant, selecting the new 
scaffold brancheson the upper trunk, 
and lightly cutting back any too- 
ambitious scaffold branches which 
maycompetewith the leader or grow 
too long and “ leggy”; the leader it¬ 
self being stopped when a height of 
twelve to fifteen feet is reached. 
In the open-center tree the three 
or four scaffold branches are kept 
growing evenly, each one dominat¬ 
ing its share of the tree. Large 
crossing branches, and heavy shoots 
tending to fill up the center of the 
tree are removed. Otherwise but 
little pruning is done. It may be 
fairly said that in developing an 
open-center tree each scaffold branch 
is treated about the same as a sepa¬ 
rate central leader tree, except that the 
ning in toward the open center are not allowed to develop. 
The same tree after super¬ 
fluous branches have been 
cut away giving opportun¬ 
ity for development of bet¬ 
ter fruits without marring 
the fundamental beauty of 
framework 
large side branches run- 
Building Up A Sturdy Framework 
T HE selection of the scaffold branches is most important. 
On the open-center tree, there should be three or four dis¬ 
tributed evenly around the trunk, and separated, if possible, by 
several inches. On the leader-type tree there should be many 
scaffold branches, spaced fifteen to twenty inches apart, only 
one or two being selected each year as the tree grows taller. 
Other side branches arising from the trunk should not be allowed 
to compete with the scaffold. Choose vigorous, wide-angled 
branches, avoiding, so far as possible, the narrow-angled branches 
which usually arise from the topmost bud. These narrow-angle 
branches make bad crotches as the tree grows older, and event¬ 
ually split under a heavy load. 11 is economy in the end to take 
somewhat weaker lower branches, if they have wide-angled, strong 
How An Apple Tr ee 
Profits By Pruning 
Showing A Fift^)-Tear-Old 
Rhode Island Greening Before 
Trimming and In Various Stages 
of Development Afterward 
Even now when in leaf there is ample space between 
the boughs for free circulation of sunlight and air 
A fifty-year-old Rhode Island Green¬ 
ing before renovation pruning show¬ 
ing a multiplicity of small branches 
that would later shut out sunshine 
and light 
