﻿69 
  

  

  PRUNING 
  THE 
  PERSIAN 
  WALNUT 
  

   J. 
  G. 
  Rush, 
  West 
  Willow, 
  Pa. 
  

  

  Pruning 
  is 
  as 
  old 
  as 
  horticulture 
  itself, 
  but 
  the 
  Persian 
  walnut 
  

   has 
  escaped 
  this 
  treatment 
  thus 
  far. 
  Practical 
  experience, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  in 
  growing 
  these 
  trees 
  for 
  fruiting, 
  shows 
  the 
  great 
  importance 
  

   of 
  systematic 
  pruning. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  occurrence 
  to 
  see 
  a 
  3'oung 
  

   tree 
  with 
  straggling 
  and 
  irregular 
  growths. 
  "Very 
  frequently 
  we 
  

   see 
  that 
  growth 
  takes 
  place 
  on 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  only, 
  leaving 
  the 
  

   other 
  part 
  undeveloped, 
  which 
  would 
  throw 
  the 
  tree 
  very 
  much 
  

   out 
  of 
  balance 
  in 
  course 
  of 
  time. 
  Pruning 
  should 
  begin 
  early 
  in 
  

   the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  tree 
  and 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  it 
  leaves 
  the 
  nursery 
  the 
  

   pruning 
  shears 
  should 
  be 
  in 
  evidence. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  important 
  objects 
  in 
  view 
  in 
  proper 
  and 
  systematic 
  

   pruning. 
  First 
  is 
  form, 
  with 
  a 
  well 
  balanced 
  head. 
  Second, 
  to 
  

   increase 
  productiveness 
  by 
  having 
  more 
  lateral 
  branches 
  properly 
  

   distributed 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  tree. 
  As 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  course 
  productiveness 
  

   will 
  follow. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  singular 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  misfortune 
  can 
  sometimes 
  develop 
  

   into 
  a 
  blessing. 
  Last 
  year, 
  1914, 
  was 
  an 
  unfortunate 
  one 
  in 
  that 
  

   an 
  early 
  and 
  late 
  drouth 
  caused 
  poor 
  bud 
  development, 
  and, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  in 
  a 
  condition 
  to 
  withstand 
  our 
  usual 
  winter 
  

   weather. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1915, 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  bud 
  development 
  took 
  place, 
  I 
  

   commenced 
  to 
  prune. 
  I 
  cut 
  off 
  all 
  weak 
  branches 
  to 
  a 
  strong 
  bud 
  

   and 
  sometimes 
  went 
  over 
  the 
  trees 
  a 
  second 
  time 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  insure 
  

   that 
  the 
  work 
  should 
  be 
  well 
  done. 
  These 
  trees 
  referred 
  to 
  are 
  

   mostly 
  three 
  years 
  old 
  and 
  at 
  that 
  age 
  the 
  pruning 
  should 
  be 
  done 
  

   very 
  systematically. 
  

  

  It 
  js 
  a 
  mistake 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  tree 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  years 
  old 
  in 
  bearing. 
  

   You 
  will 
  have 
  branches 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  4 
  feet 
  long 
  without 
  any 
  laterals, 
  

   quite 
  differently 
  from 
  other 
  fruits, 
  as 
  the 
  apple, 
  peach, 
  pear, 
  etc. 
  

   If 
  these 
  long 
  branches 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain 
  you 
  will 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  

   terminal 
  buds 
  will 
  develop 
  nuts 
  and 
  weigh 
  down 
  the 
  branch. 
  But 
  

   with 
  proper 
  management 
  the 
  life 
  and 
  productiveness 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  

   can 
  be 
  improved 
  by 
  pruning. 
  A 
  branch 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  feet 
  long 
  should 
  be 
  

   cut 
  back 
  one 
  half. 
  Of 
  course 
  great 
  care 
  must 
  be 
  taken 
  where 
  the 
  

   cut 
  is 
  made, 
  for 
  the 
  future 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  tree. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  a 
  very 
  fine 
  five-year-old 
  Hall 
  variety 
  on 
  my 
  side 
  lawn 
  that 
  

  

  