The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-15
THE YOUNG APPLE TREE.
Pruning Processes That Take Account Of
the Laws of Growth.


The most important stage in the life
history Of an apple tree is its early and
formative period. The old adage that
stitch in time saves nine" can be
applied to young apple tree, which is
i very tractable thing, By the apple
cation of science, based on the laws Of
tree growth, and by having In mind GER
tain fixed ideal, the grower may crafty
his taste and obtain a perfectly shaped,
desirable tree, says the indianapolis
News.
There are two general shapes for APP
pie trees; The vase shaped type, with
an open center, and the excnrrent trunk
type, having a central leader for axis Z;
the former type is most popular, and
is generally adopted Heads in either
case may be low or high, the trunks
short or high. Theoretically, the low
trunk commends itself to ones fancy.
II it has any real advantage, excepting
in the far West and in arid regions,
where on account of hot climate and
prevalent high winds low head is es-
sential, it IS far outweighed by the OBJ
iections that it binders the process of
tillage, is likely To cause injury to low-
er branches There are, however, en-
thusiastic advocates of both shapes, and
the type Of tree TO be grown is general
~ matter of individual taste and judg
ment
There are three processes of pruning
young apple tree; the formative, the
directive and the corrective, Under the
first may be considered the teamwork Of
the tree; whether of high or low head,
which should be vase shaped and have
from three to five strong, uniform
branches, arranged spirally around the
trunk at the desired height The proper
angle Of the framework branches is about
As degrees.
One Of the laws of tree growth is
that the elongation proceeds from the
last Of terminal bud of shoot, and at
somewhat greater or less angle accord
ing as the bud is situated on the upper
or lower side Of the shoot. The varietal
differences in habit Of growth must be
studied and taken into account; then,
by taking advantage OF the diverging
angle Of the new bud growth, a tend
ency to grow too erect or too droop-
ing is overcome. Since several cuttings
during the growth season can be made,
and after each cutting the new growth
directed more upward or horizontal. as
the case may be, the effect can easily
be comprehended. Such definite spae-
ing Of laternals, spirally and uniform
ly in vigor and direction, can best be OBJ
tanned BY planting one year-old nursery
stock, which is called one year buds.
Such trees are erect, single shoots, with
few or not laternals, and are most sus-
ceptble TO the influence Of the growers
knife.
After planting they are cut back to
the desired height of trunk, plus the
six inches that will be taken up by the
framework. If the trunk il to be 80
inches high the bud should be severed
at point 3S inches from the ground.
In this connection it should be remem-
bered that the trunk Of tree never
elongates after once the new growth
has become fixed; then hard, upward
growth ceases. A one-year bud has over
its entire length latent buds arranged
spirally and ready at first call to burst
into growth and to form laterals, of
which only the desired number are re-
tanned, those farther down being rubbed
of as they appear. Nursery branched