39 



GENERAL REMARKS ON PRUNING- 



We are frequently asked " What is the best time to prune ?*' r 

 Our reply is always " When the trees are in a dormant state, 

 roughly from the 15th of June until the end of August." But 

 at the same time we must add that cutting a tree at its different 

 stages of growth has a different effect, and of late years consider- 

 able departure has been made from this formerly, I believe, cast- 

 iron rule. In California (and we have seen it done with equal 

 success here), it is customary soon after the harvesting of the 

 crop of apricots to cut away the entire top of the tree a few 

 inches above the place where it will later have to be pruned ; 

 this results in a severe shock to the system, giving the flow of 

 sap a strong check just at a time when it is not in vigorous flow, 

 thus tending to the formation of fruit buds, as it must be 

 remembered that these are more readily formed when the sap 

 is flowing sluggishly. Any observer will have noticed a sickly 

 tree is almost invariably well set to fruit, and also that trees 

 growing in rich soil takes longer to come into bearing. This 

 is by reason of the difference in vigour in the flow of sap. 



Then again we hear a great deal nowadays about summer 

 pruning and the multitudinous advantages gained thereby. We 

 are perfectly satisfied that under the conditions that we grow 

 fruit in South Africa a summer pruning is more an element of 

 danger than of benefit. In the west we have our dry hot summer,, 

 and with moisture either placed there by irrigation or naturally 

 in the ground, the uniform result is a strong vigorous growth 

 of -wood. Now, should one begin summer pruning such 

 trees it means simply a temporary cheek, and then another new 

 growth which is of absolutely no advantage, but if the right time 

 is selected, and it can only be determined on each season by 

 careful observation, and is just at the time of autumn or when 

 the flow of sap is slowing up, a slight thinning out of the 

 new top growth to allow the sun to penetrate all parts of the 

 tree, and a careful shortening in of the laterals on which fruit 

 will later be carried will undoubtedly tend to the formation of 

 many fruit buds. This style of autumn pruning applies to apples 

 and pears only. 



We should never touch either the peach or plum during the 

 growing season except to cut clean away the water suckers that 

 almost invariably grow up as the result of keeping the centre of 

 the tree open. We notice on the Continent, in France, Italy, 

 and Spain, and wherever fruit is at all carefully grown, the main 

 idea, whether it may be a peach, apricot, pear or plum, is to 

 h'i'p the tree well open and not to have too many main limbs, this 

 appeared the key to all their pruning. The result being that 

 after the tree comes into full bearing there is very little more 

 cutting to be done. 



