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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



due to judicious pruning in the past, and to the fact that 

 they have become "set," for as regards trees of this kind 

 it is in the earlier years of their growth that they require 

 the greatest amount of attention. 



There is no shadow of doubt that injuries to trees and 

 losses to fruit growers caused by vicious and altogether 

 iiimecessary pruning have been very great, yet it would 

 certainly be erroneous to state that by reason of this, trees 

 should not be pruned at all. 



It is always judicious to thin out the tops of fruit trees 

 when the branches become overcrowded, so as to let in a 

 sufficient amount of sunlight and air, without which fruit 

 cannot be produced. But an indiscriminate removal of 

 branches or the shortening of shoots, every year upon 

 every tree, as a matter of routine, without any special ob- 

 ject in view, will, sooner or later, work harm. 



One important point in connection with pruning is to 

 know when to do it. It has been said that when pruning 

 is required it can be done any time that the knife is 

 sharp. An attempt to reduce this question to an axiom 

 has been made by formulating the following rule : Prune 

 in summer for fruit and in winter for zuood; but perhaps 

 no advice has been so vague and disappointing in its 

 practical application as this. 



The principle upon w-hich the advice, "Prune in sum- 

 mer for fruit" is based, recognizes that barrenness is often 

 the result of too much wood growth, and that any process 

 tending to reduce an excessive amount of this will favor 

 the production of flowers and fruit. But, while the prin- 

 ciple is correct, it must be borne in mind that by the con- 

 stant removal of foliage in summer the vitality of a tree 

 is greatl\- weakened, and further, the usefulness of sum- 

 mer pruning depends upon conditions which cannot al- 

 ways be seen or controlled. 



The difficulties encountered with pruning in summer 

 are sometimes perplexing. For example, if the growing 

 shoots of an apple or pear are checked in their extension, 

 say at the end of June, the lower buds or shoots will be 

 forced into growth, thus forming numerous side branches, 

 or, as they are sometimes termed, sub-laterals, which 

 have no immediate connection with fruiting spurs, and 

 which will merely tend to the formation of a further 

 thicket of small branches to be removed in the winter. 

 But if the shoots are not checked until August, and the 

 weather afterwards keeps moderately dry, the probabili- 

 ties are that the lower buds upon these shoots will start 

 into short spur-like growths which will ultimately furnish 

 fruiting buds. If. however, the early autumn happens to 

 be wet, these sub-laterals will lengthen into slender twigs 

 which will be of no use whatever. The difficulty in reach- 

 ing successful results lies in the uncertainty as to the best 

 time to prune, because no two seasons are exactly alike, 

 but, as will be presently pointed out, pruning, as under- 

 stood by cutting away shoots and branches, need rarely be 

 necessary upon spur-bearing trees. But supposing it has 

 become absolutely necessary to cut away growing wood, 

 either from previous neglect or other causes, as a general 

 rule any time during autumn, winter or early spring may 

 be chosen. 



When the object is the thinning out of thickly branched 

 trees, the season is not of much importance and the work 

 may be performed at the most convenient time ; but when 

 it is decided to remove certain branches for the purpose 

 of giving additional vigor to those remaining, it is better 

 to prune early in the autumn immediately after the fruit 

 is picked without waiting for the leaves to fall. If the 

 operation is performed at this time the succeeding growth 

 of the remainder will be stronger than if left until tlie 

 spring. This is explained by the fact that during the 

 autumn anrl to a greater or less extent during the winter, 

 plants continue to i"ore or less absorb food b}' their roots 



which in the case of trees is disseminated to all portions 

 of their structure and thus increasing the size and 

 strength of the buds. As the flow of sap is always di- 

 rected to the extreme points of shoots, the highest buds 

 are the most fully developed ; therefore, wdien pruning is 

 delayed until the spring, and the points or upper branches 

 removed at that time, all the food accumulated in those 

 portions is wasted and to that extent the plant is weak- 

 ened. On the other hand when pruning is done early in 

 the autumn, the buds which are retained will benefit by 

 the accumulated nutriment, which would otherwise have 

 been distributed over a greater number, and these will in 

 consequence start more vigorously in the spring, advance 

 more rapidly in the summer, and their maturity will be 

 greatly hastened. 



From this another factor may be deduced, that late 

 spring pruning has a decided influence in retarding 

 growth at that season and in the early summer, hence the 

 operation may be purposely delayed until just before 

 growth starts, when the object is to diminish early luxuri- 

 ance ; this, for instance, would be applicable in a district 

 where late spring frosts are frequent. 



In the case of old orchards which have been neglected 

 it is often necessary to "dishorn" them; that is, cut away 

 the limbs so as to form an entirely new top. This oper- 

 ation is worth doing only when the trunk is sound and 

 healthy. It is generally better to spread this operation 

 over two seasons by cutting away one side each year, or 

 in the case of exceptionally large trees, it is as well to 

 take three years in doing the work so as to lessen the 

 shock to the vitality of the tree. The result will be a 

 considerable growth of what are known as "water- 

 sprouts." If they are very thick a slight thinning will 

 be advantageous, but not too much, as it is necessary to 

 have the maximum production of leaves to elaborate the 

 sap and keep up as much as possible the vitality of the 

 limb. After the leaves have fallen the surplus over those 

 required for the new branches can be cut away. 



If trees are properly managed from the earliest period 

 of their existence, pruning, in the sense of using a knife 

 or saw, should rarely be necessary, excepting in special 

 cases to be alluded to later on. The best method of prun- 

 ing is that of pinching or disbudding, and is really the most 

 scientific mode of removing or preventing growth that 

 is not wanted, without harm to the plant. Pinching is the 

 checking of shoots at an early stage of their growth by 

 removing their extreme points by a pinch between the fin- 

 ver and thumbs without the further removal of foliage. 

 This operation retards for a time the extension of such 

 shoots, causes additional growth in other buds, and de- 

 velops shoots where a greater extension is desired. 



Disbudding is the removal of buds or very young 

 shoots, and is of similar effect to pinching. These are the 

 best ways of directing the growth of plants, and if proper- 

 ly carried out there would be little necessity for winter 

 pruning or the removal of branches at any time. 



It certainly must appeal to the common sense of most 

 people that it cannnot be right to allow a tree to make 

 growths of wood during the summer merely to be cut 

 out during the viinter. From the s'tandpoint of labor 

 there is obviously a saving in rubbing ofT a bud in May 

 instead of cutting a branch six months afterwards. The 

 great waste of vital energy where the growth of a whole 

 season is undisturbed until the wood is matured is also a 

 factor of great importance. 



The use of the knife is necessary when trees are trans- 

 planted. Although with ordinary care the destruction or 

 mutilation of roots when lifting trees may be reduced to 

 a minimum, yet it is rarely that the whole of the roots 

 are secured. It is always essential to the well-being of a 

 tree when transplanted that the branches be reduced as 



