78 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[March, 



which is produced without the aid of artificial 

 means. It has been my observation that or- 

 chards, even though composed of the better va- 

 rieties of cultivated fruits, if permitted to go 

 without any pruning, soon become so overgrown 

 with useless, or, at least, surplus wood that 

 the fruit, though abundant as to numbers, is 

 very inferior as to quality. An excessive growth 

 of wood is incompatible with the production of 

 abundance of good-sized, high-flavored fruit. 



For the development of fine flavor in fruit, it 

 is essential that it be exposed to the rays of the 

 sun while ripening. Fruit that is grown in the 

 shade is always insipid compared with the same 

 variety that has been freely exposed to air and 

 sunlight. Some trees, if not kept somewhat in 

 check by pruning, will run to wood to such a 

 degree that but little of their vitality is left to 

 produce fruit. Others with such an abundance 

 of branches set such a large amount of fruit that 

 none of it can reach much excellence. It is 

 evident that a judicious amount of pruning will 

 remove these evils by thinning out the surplus 

 branches, thus concentrating the sap in a smaller 

 number of branches and buds, causing a more 

 vigorous development of the fruit. At the same 

 time, this thinning out of branches admits the 

 air and sunlight to all parts of the tree, causing 

 a more perfect elaboration of the sap in the 

 leaves, and of the juices of the fruit. 



Assuming, then, that a certain amount of 

 pruning is required for the fullest degree of ex- 

 cellence in the growth of fruit, I proceed to a 

 brief descrfption of the principles of pruning. 

 And in this inquiry there are three things that 

 present themselves as claiming attention and 

 elaboration. First, the time when pruning 

 should be done; second, what should be cut 

 away in the operation ; and, third, how pruning 

 should be done. As to the first, much depends 

 on the object sought by the operation. 



There are various and apparently contradictory 

 ends to be attained by pruning. We prune to 

 reduce the vigor of trees ; to increase the vigor of 

 trees ; to thicken the head of branches ; to induce 

 fruitfulness; to reduce the tendency to form fruit 

 buds ; to cause a more spreading growth ; to 

 induce a more upright growth, and various other 

 purposes. From this it will appear that in order 

 that pruning may accomplish the end desired, it 

 is essential that it be performed under such con- 

 ditions as will secure that particular object. It 

 is evident that if it be not done with a correct 

 understanding of the principles involved, a very 



diQ"erent result may be produced than the one 

 intended. The difference in result depends very 

 much on the season of the year and condition of 

 the tree when the pruning is done. In order to 

 understand the physiology of pruning it is 

 necessary to have some knowledge of the princi- 

 ples of vegetable physiology. The fruit tree is a 

 living being influenced by soil, climate, and 

 especially the seasons of the year. The internal 

 condition of a tree does not diff'er so materially 

 as the outward manifestations at the diS"erent 

 seasons of the year. No sooner has the leaf fallen 

 in the autumn than the tree begins the process 

 of accumulating a store of moisture charged with 

 vegetable food for the use of the tree during the 

 following growing season. This is evident from 

 the fact, that if a tree be examined just after the 

 fall of the leaf it will be found comparatively 

 destitute of sap; but if the examination be made 

 in the spring, the wood will be found full to 

 repletion with the moisture that has been grad- 

 ually accumulated during the winter. During 

 this gradual increase of sap, there is a considera- 

 ble amount of tree food carried up and deposited 

 in various parts of the tree, near where it will be 

 needed for the early growth of the season. 



Of course the more branches and buds the tree 

 has the more this plant food is divided, and the 

 less relative efTect is produced on each part. 

 Now it is evident that if a portion of the branches 

 be cut away early in the season, the remaining 

 buds will receive a greater proportional amount 

 of the nutriment accumulated afterwards. The 

 result would be increased vigor in the growth of 

 the remaining portions. If the desire is to in- 

 crease the vigor of a tree, according to this theory, 

 the pruning should be done as soon after the fall 

 of the leaves as practicable. But if there is 

 already sufficient vigor, pruning at this season 

 will have a tendency to increase the number of 

 branches, as the material laid up will cause 

 adventitious buds to form which will produce 

 numerous water sprouts that cause a thickening 

 of the sprays that will increase the evil that was 

 sought to be remedied by pruning. This ex- 

 plains why many persons complain that pruning 

 only makes the matter worse. 



If the desire is to reduce the vigor of a tree 

 and thus cause it to form fruit buds and bear 

 fruit, the pruning must be done at a time when 

 the tree has expended the material for its season's 

 growth ; say about July or August. But a tree 

 to endure much pruning at that season should be 

 in great vigor, as severe pruning at that time 



