ing off the lower limbs. Pruning is not thoroughly
understood. Trees are pruned to make them live, grow fast and stocky,
and also slender; to make them bear young, give form, light and air, and
to make them look alike; to bear heavy crops and fine specimens. It is
claimed all this can be done by pruning; it can be accomplished without
pruning in a much shorter time and without extra labor. We do not
recommend pruning apple trees at any times excepting _after_ the trees
are well established in the orchard; then the lower limbs _may_ be
gradually removed to form the head, about two feet from the ground; but
the longer we allow them to remain the heavier and stockier they become;
for the body of the tree increases in size just in proportion to the
amount of foliage on the lower limbs. We prune off dead, broken and
sucker limbs, and have no objections to taking off limbs that chafe each
other (if this should happen from neglect). We have lost more trees from
pruning than from all other causes together. We have seen large orchards
just in their prime that have been so injured from pruning that they
never recovered. On the other hand, I have seen orchards that were so
neglected, dilapidated and crowded that I thought a thorough pruning
would make them more productive. I never thin the fruit on the trees; it
is not necessary.

Pollination is no doubt an important factor in productiveness, size,
quality, and form. We have had no opportunity to test the result with
apples, as our varieties are all mixed up together. We would not plant
in an orchard large blocks of any variety excessively; better have them
intermixed with other varieties that bloom at the same time. The pollen
of one variety may be congenial to some, while it may be neglected
[repelled] by another; we will have to learn this by experience, or
plant a less number of varieties together. We have little experience yet
in planting large orchards of few kinds. Perhaps none of these varieties
that are esteemed so highly are congenial to each other. We had better
go slow about planting out 10,000 to 20,000 of one kind together. We may
have gone too far now. We do not use any fertilizer for our trees only
as we crop the land. The virgin soil of our county does not need
fertilizing if planted in orchard until the tree comes into bearing,
except we crop the land. It is, however, a mistake to think we can grow
an orchard and crop the ground at the same time, without any injur