The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-05-01
HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT

sons for the pyramid shape, and there
| we must let the matter rest. There
| are some very good authorities on
| both sides of this question. I think
this difference arises mainly in what
is meant by the best shape. If the
strength of the tree is the point
sought, then l would not hesitate to
decide in favor of the pyramidal
shape. If the quality of the fruit is
the determining factor, l would GER
| tainly decide in favor of the vase
shape. The pyramidaltree looks well on
| paper and looks we'll in the orchard
when young, but when 1t becomes
| loaded with fruit it folds up like an
umbrella and does not readily admit
the sunlight. This is it's chief defect.
Let me give little experience: On
! April 16, 1895, set a tree of the pyra-
mid form where a tree was missing
| in an orchard set in the spring of 1894.
| 1t was a fine specimen. I wanted to
| give it a thorough trial. 1t was a
beautiful tree, having the limbs COM
| ing out on the different sides of the
| main stem and something like foot
| apart, but on all sides. In few years
| l found the top was entirely too thick
| and had to cut out some of the large
limbs, and that marred the tree and
left large wounds to heal over. That
| tree today is in bad shape, and never
can be what l want a tree to be in
shape. The vase shaped trees all
about it bend apart when loaded with
apples, but this tree tends to fold up.
The trees that bend apart let in the
sunlight far better than the one that
folds up. l do not need to remind my
| readers that sunlight is the one indis-
! pensable factor in securing color for
! apples, and quality and color go to-
| gether. From my experience, not
| only in this one case, but in many 9th
ers reaching back for fifty years,
would never train my trees with q
center stem, but would use the vase
| shape.
AS to what Van Deman, Piper and
Lake have said on this question of
shape 1 am not prepared to say.
have nothing at hand from either one
of these men favoring one side or the
other on this question. Piper has
| twice visited my orchards and ex-
pressed his admiration of my trees,
but so far as can call to mind he ex-
pressed no preference for the one
shape or the other, for that point was
never mentioned. His admiration for
my trees without a note of criticism
might be construed to be an indorse-
ment of the vase shape. While can
not give the views of these men, can
give some very decided Endorsements
of the vase shaped tree from others of
our leading pomOlOgists in the United
| States.
| The present head of the Department
of Pomology, which is a division in
the Department of Agriculture, Wash
| ington, d. c., is G. B. Bracket. No
man stands higher in pOmology than
he. In the Yearbook for 1901 Bracket
has this to say about pruning the ap-
pie tree: Pruning and training are
important factors in the successful
management of an apple orchard. The
objects to be attained are % symmet-
rical and evenly balanced heads, and
| CD the admission of sunlight and free
circulation of air into all parts of the
tree top while maintaining a sufficient
density of foliage to protect the
trunks, branches and fruit from the
| oiiCCI rays VI IilC ouh, WuiCh al .
BILE to scald and injure both tree and
fruit. If the trees are one or two
years old when set they should be cut
back to the height from the ground
1t is proposed to form the head of the
tree. This cutting back will cause
several of the upper buds to grow,
which will form the head at the prop
er height. These should be watched
and only such left to grow as are to
form the main branches. Those left
should be the strongest shoots at
equal distances apart around the stem,