30 MPNTANA EXPERIMENT STATION Cir. 78 



remember that moderate annual primings are better than spasmodic 

 severe prunings. The latter often means the removal of large limbs. 

 This should be avoided as much as possible. 



When to prune. It is best to prune trees and shrubs early in 

 the spring before growth starts. Shrubs which bloom very early 

 in the spring are often pruned after the blooming season or in early 

 summer. In our dry climate pruning in the fall or early winter is 

 not a good practice. Dead wood of course is unsightly and may be 

 removed at any time. 



How to make proper cuts. In heading back a branch, cut to 

 a bud or to a lateral branch. When large branches are headed back 

 to laterals,- the latter take up much of the excess sap and prevent 

 the formation of many water-sprouts. In cutting off side branches, 

 cut them close to or flush with the surface of the branch from which 

 they arise. Do not leave stubs. If cut properly the wound may 

 be a little larger than when a stub is left, but it will heal more 

 quickly. 



It is generally advisable to paint wounds which are two inches 

 or more in diameter. For this purpose a good grade of white lead 

 paint is one of the best dressings. This paint should be thick and 

 should not be applied in excess as it may run down over the bark 

 and injure it. 



THE WINDBREAK 



The purpose of the windbreak is one of protection. It should 

 protect the buildings and the fruit and vegetable gardens from 

 sweeping winds. In winter it should stop the blowing snow and 

 prevent it from piling up about the buildings. Such protection adds 

 much to the comfort of the home, and without some such protection 

 from drying winds it is almost useless to attempt to grow fruit 

 upon the dry farm. In summer the windbreak checks the winds 

 which rob the soils of the garden, orchard, and yard of their moisture. 

 If it is to serve these purposes it must be dense enough and wide 

 enough to stop the wind. To make it dense, it must be made up of 

 trees of varying habits of growth. A grove of cottonwoods will 

 not serve the purpose, as the lower limbs soon die off and allow 

 the wind to rush through underneath. Nor will a grove of low- 

 growing shrubs serve all the purposes of a windbreak. It must 

 be a combination of the two. The width should be from fiftv to 



