NOVEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



^(.-j 



A Book on Priinim 



HE main object of pruning^, 

 so far as orchard trees are 

 concerned, is to increase 

 the quantity and improv^e 

 the qurility of the fruit. If 



f ^^S"^y '^^^"^ ^^''''" '^^^ effect is 



I ^^^|F good, but if done badly, 



\^ I no operation can be more 



mischie%ous in its result^. 

 Hence tlie necessity of understanding- the "why" in 

 order to know the " how" of the process. A growing 

 tree is a nicely adjusted piece of living- machiner}-, and 

 any violent interference with any one of its essential 

 working organs is sure to have a direct influence upon 

 other parts of the organism. For example, a perfect 

 balance is kept up between the water absorbing roots 

 and the transpiring foliage of the shoots. If we prune 

 the roots then less water is absorbed and fewer leaves 

 will be produced. Conversely, if we prune the branches, 

 and thus lessen the capacity of the tree to get rid of the 

 water taken up by the roots, an increased water 

 pressure is established which will induce the production 

 of an extra growth of sappy shoots to restore the 

 necessary balance between the two sets of mutually 

 acting organs. A man who sets to work to prune 

 a tree ought, therefore, to uiiderstand and appre- 

 ciate that he is about to interfere with the w-orking 

 of a highly complicated machine, and that unless 

 he uses his brains he is likely to do more harm than 

 good. 



These remarks are suggested by the receipt of a little 

 book on pruning written by a "practical fruit grower" 

 for the guidance and help of other fruit growers.* 

 The book is exceptionally well done, and, although the 

 authorship is not given, it is evidently the work of a 

 trained observer and of a craftsman skilled in all that 

 pertains to the art of pruning. What is specially 

 pleasing in a book of this character is that the reasons 

 are given for the operations recommended, so that an 

 intelligent pruner may, under varying conditions, alter 

 the details of his practice with assured confidence that 

 he is doing the right thing. In pruning a tree the 

 author rightly insists upon the workman first of all 

 understanding exactly the character of the " wood " 

 that bears the fruit. In a gooseberry, for example, all 

 the " wood" from one year old to the very oldest bear 

 blossoms, but as the finest fruit is carried on branches 

 from four to five years old the aim of the pruner must 

 obviously be to keep the bush always furnished with 

 young- wood. In red and white currants the finest and 

 greatest quantity of fruit is found on spurs along the 

 old wood from two years back to ten or fifteen years. 

 .And as it may be noticed that most of the fruit are on 

 spurs clustering round the base of each year's growth 

 the aim of the pruner should be to get long lengths of 

 old wood well furnished with spurs. And as the one 

 year's shoots do not flower, and also as only the basal 



^ "Pruning." Illustrated. A compendium of out-door work 

 published by the Lockvvood Press, London. Price is. 



buds in such shoots will develoj? into fruiting spurs, so 

 much only of these shoots are retained as may be 

 required for the lengthening of the branches. But, as 

 in black currants, the character of the fruiting wood is 

 entirely different— their treatment is different. The 

 flowers are formed on one year old leaders, or on little 

 one year laterals, or, best of all, on strong young 

 shoots. This, of course, suggests the method of 

 pruning, which is to encourage plenty of young vigorous 

 shoots, and the cutting out of all old exhausted or 

 weakened branches. With regard to apples a careful 

 examination of the tree will show that " under natural 

 conditions the fruit-bearing wood will be produced all 

 over the tree, and that our best course \s\\\ be to so 

 train it as to grow as much well-matured wood as 

 possible, and to keep the wood regulated and spaced 

 in order to admit light and air to the whole of the fruit 

 as well as [possible." Plums, having much the same 

 general character of flowering as the apple, are treated 

 similarly ; indeed, as the author remarks, "there is a 

 good deal of resemblance in the method of pruning red 

 currants and bush apples and plums, the only difi'erence 

 being- that we allow a little more latitude to the side 

 shoots in the latter, and do not cut them quite all off" 

 as we do the former." 



After discussing the flowering peculiarities of each 

 kind of fruit the author proceeds to give details as to 

 the general methods to be followed. With respect to 

 plums and apples the author briefly summarises his 

 instructions in these words — "But what has been said 

 will be sufficient to show the general idea of laying in 

 the foundation braiiches evenly round the stem and 

 then drawing the tree out, keeping a fairly open centre, 

 allowing the formation of new branches as room is 

 found for them in the widening spaces between the 

 older branches as they grow." Having carefully 

 described the general principles the author then pro- 

 ceeds to deal with each leading market variety 

 For example, in the references to Worcester Pearmain 

 pruners are reminded of its remarkable characteristic 

 of bearing practically all its fruit on the outside of the 

 tree, and that, therefore, it is simply ruinous to go all 

 over the branches shortening all the leaders and 

 cutting- off all the side shoots. Of course, as is stated, 

 it must be done for a j-ear or two in order to lay a 

 good foundation for future growth, but after branches 

 have been established the less done in this w-ay the 

 better. In this way he deals comparatively with seven 

 varieties of gooseberries and sixteen different types of 

 apples. 



Chapters devoted to the cultivation of pears, cherries, 

 nuts and raspberries, and treated, int he same way are 

 also included in the book. Useful information is given 

 on tools and how to use them, while the final chapter on 

 pruning on small holdings should prove extremely helpfu 

 to cottagers and small farmers. 



From what we have said and quoted it will readily be 

 inferred that this is no ordinary book on pruning, but 

 one written by a man who has had not only great 

 experience in fruit farming but who is well able to put 

 his experience clearly and methodically before his 

 readers. Every fruit grower in the country should 

 get it. 



