20 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



PRUXIXG. 



As I canuot be present at the Pontiac meeting I send you a few thonglits on 

 the threadbare subject of ])vuiiing, as suggested by experience in the orchard, 

 and ^vithout any reference to tlie wants or })ossibihtics of nursery pruning. 



Tlierc is a proper distinction between the two kinds, because a young phmt 

 bears mutihition better than an old one. A nurseryman may, if occasion re- 

 quires, take oil, at one cut, seven-eighths of a young plant leaving an upright 

 sprout which will rapidly grow to a perfect tree ; but if the orchardist takes 

 awav, at one cutting, seven-eighths of his bearing tree the balance, as a rule, 

 will be worthless. The large percentage which a nurseryman may remove can- 

 uot well be taken as a rule to apply to the orchard ; and, though young trees, 

 in the spring of the year, bear well the necessary mutilation of transplanting, it 

 does not follow that the spring is the time when the pruning of the orchard can 

 be most safely done. However, if I speak from experience I must not talk of 

 nursery work, for that has not been my school. 



I commenced orcliard planting with the notions prevalent forty years ago but 

 with no experience, for my father's orchard was })lanted before I was born. 

 Nobody, then, planted new orchards, and the owners of old ones were repent- 

 ing that they had ever planted, and, in many cases, were cutting down orch- 

 ards, believing that the sins of drunkards who loved "hard cider" were 

 charged to their account. I need not say how irreligiously I failed to appre- 

 ciate a repentance which took so practical a turn ; but I had a mental 

 reservation that my orchard should raise dessert apples, cooking apples, drying 

 apples, "sweet cider" apples — auytliing but "apples of discord." 



Experience in orchard raising is a slow school, and, with me, docs not get 

 very far in a life time, but I have outgrown a few notions in the simi)le parts of 

 of our work, and taking it for granted that gentlemen of our society intend to 

 raise only the good apples, my conscience will not trouble mc if I try to help 

 alono- some of the beginners. 



One of the notions of old times was that we must cut olf the tap root to throw 

 the growth into the lateral roots so that by getting more heat at the surface the 

 fruit would be of brighter color and better llavor. I followed that rule until, 

 among a few nursery trees of my own raising, I had three trees with great tap- 

 roots and nothing else. The rule would destroy these three and I could not 

 think nature had made such a mistake, and I concluded to let her do what she 

 pleased with those beet-like roots, and the place of the three tap-root trees Avas 

 noted on my record. The first season's growth was equal to the best, and the 

 trees and fruit, since, have not been inferior to the otliers. Most forest trees 

 commence life with a clean tap-root and they dispense with it in their own time 

 and thrive without our help. 



It is still claimed that the ends of roots, where cut with a spade, should be cut 

 smooth witli a knife before planting. I have a number of times, had occasion 

 to move trees that had been planted one and two years, and whose larger roots had 

 been cut smooth, but the smaller, uncut roots had started just as well. Those 

 Avere trees with fresh roots at time of planting. If roots are exposed, 

 after taking up, so as to become mouldy on the end, I would cut them. I have, 

 now, only one rule about roots: that is, plant all you can get. I used to cover 

 every little cut above ground with a coat of wax or shellac paint as carefully as 

 Ave could do up a cut finger, but I find no good in it. Cuts, uncovered, heal 

 perfectly, and that is good enough. I Avill not say that, if cuts are made in 

 spring, covering is not beneficial, I Avill only say I do not cut in spring. 



