114 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



DISCUSSION. 



The President: You have heard this paper of Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams 

 is the superintendent of parks at Omaha, Neb., and there are some very 

 good points in this paper, which is now open for discussion. Mr. Adams 

 may be here before we are through. 



A Member: There is one point in that paper that I take issue with 

 Mr. Adams. He says there is a right and a wrong way to prune trees, 

 and to cut the limbs close to the tree. I want to say that I have 

 seen trees pruned, limbs two, three, and some cut six inches to a foot 

 away from where the section of the tree branches out, v/here it grows 

 to normal size. In my opinion it v/ould be a mistake to cut so close 

 where a portion bulges out. I would like to hear the experience of 

 some of the others in the audience. 



Mr. Green: Do I understand that you recommend the cutting off of 

 limbs eight inches to a foot from the tree? 



Member: I say I have seen results from it. I do not say that I 

 would recommend It. 



A Member: I believe where you have a variety that enlarges rapidly 

 at the base it is just as well to cut the limb close. If you have a limb 

 that gradually enlarges down to the trunk I would cnt it off close to 

 the trunk. 



A Member: I have been experimenting some along this line of trim- 

 ming and pruning. My experience has been in cutting off a limb is to 

 cut right close to the swell, where it swells out or the limb forks. If 

 you leave a stub there the stub decays eventually and affects the health 

 of the tree. Do not cut into the swell, but cut right close to it; it 

 seems to heal over in one or two years, according to the size of the 

 limb taken off. 



The President: I want to get all out of this paper there is in it, 

 and you must all feel at liberty to ask questions. 



Mr. J. A. Yager: Just a word about the paper as to painting the 

 wounds after pruning. I think many people do not attach sufficient 

 importance to fixing up the wound after cutting off a limb. In my 

 experience, where large limbs have been removed, if the wound is not 

 covered over soon, decay sets in, extends into the tree and eventually 

 injures it very badly. I think that all limbs larger than an inch, no 

 matter on what kind of a tree, after cutting, they should be covered 

 over with some kind of paint, and it is just as well to put on the 

 same color of paint. I think the practice is a good one. There are 

 several reasons why such a suggestion would be a good one; any kind 

 of paint is better than none, and in my opinion it is highly essential. 



Mr. Wm. Mohler: I think, if a man has time to cut limbs off at all, 

 he had better paint them; if he can't paint them all, then he had better 

 cut off only half as many, or just what he can paint, rather than cut 

 them all and leave some unpainted. 



A Member: I want to endorse that suggestion. Even if it is only a 



