. Bulletin . ree is done to improve the quality aswell as to increase the quantity of fruit. Pruning improves color,assists in controlling insects and diseases, increases size of fruit,improves the quality, and keeps fruiting wood on old trees vigorous. Improves the Color.—Color on the fruit cannot be expectedwhere the tree is too thick to let in sunlight and air. The amount of color on the fruit can be increased in two ways, as follows: (1)Take away the food from the roots and prevent such vigorousgrowth; (2) take away some of the leaf surface by pruning. Examples of the first method to secur
. Bulletin . ree is done to improve the quality aswell as to increase the quantity of fruit. Pruning improves color,assists in controlling insects and diseases, increases size of fruit,improves the quality, and keeps fruiting wood on old trees vigorous. Improves the Color.—Color on the fruit cannot be expectedwhere the tree is too thick to let in sunlight and air. The amount of color on the fruit can be increased in two ways, as follows: (1)Take away the food from the roots and prevent such vigorousgrowth; (2) take away some of the leaf surface by pruning. Examples of the first method to secure color are frequentlyseen with stunted trees on poor soil. They usually have well col-ored fruits but not many of them. Their leaf surface on the fruitspurs is so slight that the fruit buds are not as fruitful as theyshould be. In the second case, the leaf surface is large enough tomake the spurs fruitful but shades the fruit so that it does notcolor properly. Pruning removes surplus weak limbs and leaves,. Fig. B.—The swivel-bladed saw will make proper cuts in tight places. In large limbs the bladeis apt to turn and not work right. The straight saw is adapted to heavy cutting. (Courtesy United States Department of Agriculture.) allowing the fruit on the remaining branches to receive plenty ofsunlight, which develops fruit of high color. Pruning, then, should be used to help produce a higher coloron the fruits where this color is of importance. With the RomeBeauty, Jonathan, or any of the red apples, high color is one oftheir best selling points. With green or yellow varieties, pruningfor color is not necessary but should be done for size and quality. Along with the great increase in the use of nitrogen fertilizersin Ohio orchards there has not been a corresponding increase inpruning. As a result many growers have noticed a continued in-crease of green and poorly colored fruit which proper pruningcould prevent. 10 An example of the need of increased pruning when the nitro-
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