t of the head. An upright growing variety
should be headed lower than a spreading one. Trees kept in sod or
under extensive methods can well be headed lower than those under more
intensive culture where it is desirable to carry on cultural
operations close around them. Permanent trees should be headed higher
than temporary trees. Apple trees should seldom be headed lower than a
foot from the ground, nor more than four feet above it. For upright
growing varieties intended as permanents, the writer prefers three to
three and one-half feet and for more spreading varieties four feet;
while for temporary trees eighteen inches should be a good height.

5. To do away with weak crotches and to remove crossing or interfering
branches. A crotch formed by two branches of equal size, especially
when the split is deep, is a weak crotch and should be avoided. Strong
crotches are formed by forcing the development of lateral buds and
making almost a right angle branch from the parent one. All branches
which rub each other, which tend to occupy the same space with
another, or which generally seem out of place, are better removed as
soon as any of these tendencies are found to exist.

IDEALS IN PRUNING.--The general method of pruning the old trees and
the ideal in mind for it will also influence the pruning of the young
tree, especially the shaping of it. Once determined upon, the ideal
should be consistently followed out in the pruning of the tree as it
becomes older. As the tree comes to bearing age it will be necessary
to prune somewhat differently and for other purposes. These we can
conveniently consider under six heads:

1. Every tree should be pruned with a definite ideal as to size,
shape, and degree of openness in mind. To have such an ideal is very
important. It is only by industriously and consistently carrying it
out that the ideal tree in these respects can be ever obtained.
Haphazard cutting and sawing without a definite purpose in mind are
really worse than no pruning at all.

2. It almost goes without saying that to remove all dead, diseased, or
injured wood is a prime purpose of pruning. Dead and injured branches
open the way for rot and decay of contiguous branches, and disease
spreads through the tree. The removal of all such branches is as
essential to the health of the tree as it is to its good appearance.
In removing them the cut should be made well behind the diseased or
injured part to insure the checking of r