PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 269 



Mr. Fuller. — I do not think it would hurt them. I should cut 

 them off at any time in the winter. When we cut early we do 

 not trim quite so far down. We leave an inch or so above the 

 bud. . 



Mr. Powell. — Do the wounds heal over as readily as if cut 

 later ? 



Mr. Fuller. — It does not heal over ; it only dries up the pores 

 so that there shall be no escape of the fluid of the plant. It 

 would do no harm to cover the wounds with shellac; but I do 

 not know that it would do any good. 



Mr. Powell, — Some of my friends say that if cut now there 

 will be a decayed centre, which there would not be if the pru- 

 ning were deferred until the sap commenced to flow freely. 



Air. Fuller. — I did not refer to cutting off anything more than 

 a year old, because large limbs should never be cut from a tree 

 excepting in extreme cases. I referred merely to cutting back 

 last year's growth. 



Mr. Robinson. — But suppose that a man has not pursued the 

 right course in the beginning, what then ? Every man is not a 

 nurseryman. 



Mr. Fuller. — I would cut off those large limbs the moment I 

 waked up to the belief they should come off. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — I should cut off large limbs in the sum- 

 mer ; I think they will heal up better. 



Mr. Carpenter. — My experience has been that in cutting off 

 large limbs in the winter some of my trees died from the freezing 

 and opening.of the wound. I have trimmed trees when in blos- 

 som, but there was then too great a flow of sap, which would run 

 out and poison the new wood. I think the best time is the latter 

 part of June or in July, when the sap is a little thicker. The 

 last year's growth I would cut at any time. 



Mr. Robinson, — I have found the wounds to heal over best 

 upon apple trees, when the trees were in full bearing and the ap- 

 ples were half grown. If you thus cut away part of the fruit, the 

 same vigor that would have gone into the limb to perfect the 

 fruit, will go to heal the wound. 



Mr. Fuller. — That may do if it does not cause the tree to 

 throw out a late fall growth which cannot ripen. I suppose that 

 the time between the spring and fall growth in the summer, is 

 better on the whole than any other time. 



Mr. Hite. — If I had a large limb to cut away, I would cut it in 



