I.IASSACHUSETTS STATS COLLEGE 

 UNITED STATES DEPARTI.EKT OF AGRICULTURE 

 AND COUI'ITY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE 

 AI\m HOME ECONOMICS COOPERATING 



FRUIT NOTES - October, I936 



W. K. Thles 

 Extension Horticulturist 



An Ob .j active in Prunin.o: 



The writer is convinced that one's viewpoint in pruning a 

 fruit tree is nighty important, IThat vie accomplish seems to depend 

 very largely upon the ideal v/e have in mind. Without a clear ob- 

 jective, we may find ourselves like the football player who ran 

 the vrrong way and made a touchdown for the opposing team. We, too, 

 may lose our sense of direction and carry the tree the wrong vray. 



Almost every day the writer passes an orchai^d v^hich illus- 

 trates the truth of this statement. The workman, in pruning these 

 trees, apparently considered every upright growing limb as a menace, 

 and therefore something to be removed. And so he consistently cut 

 out the young, vigorous limbs which grew upward throughout the tree. 

 The "finished product** v/as a drooping affair composed very largely 

 of older, downward grovflng branches v/hich had partially outlived 

 its usefulness. The removal of these latter branches Instead of 

 the ones which were removed, v/ould have provided a gradual rene^-'al 

 of the fruiting wood, so essential as the tree grows older. Yes, 

 pruning Is a worthwhile operation if we leave the tree better than 

 v^e find it. Othervrise, what's the use? 



Is Fall Pruning Safe ? 



It was not until the severe winter of three years ago that 

 our attention was directed tov^ard the relative merits of fall vs, 

 spring pruning of apple trees. Then it became quite apparent that 

 the removal of large limbs in the fall left the tree in a vreakcned 

 condition and the fa.ll pruning wounds failed to heal. This may re- 

 sult from the loss of certain food materials In the branches, which 

 if given time to move dov/nv/ard to places of storage in the trunk, 

 vrould tend to encourage maturity ajid therefore v/inter hardiness. 

 It took a lot of evidence to convince some of us in the spring of 

 193^ that there was any difference between fall and spring pruned 

 trees. But the evidence accumulated as one orcha.rd after another 

 told its story. There was a real difference, and the difference 

 was greater where trees were most heavily pruned in the fall. 

 Among the trees most injured by the cold winter ^'ere certain top 

 grafted trees whose tops ''cre most drastically reduced before the 

 cold weather sot in. The moral Is plain. Avoid heavy fa.ll pruning. 

 If you have trees v;hlch are to be made over, postpone the opera- 

 tion until la.te winter or early spring. 



But what about the orchard where thousands of trees need 

 pruning, a.nd the hired help must bo kept busy? Shall we take a 

 cha.nce and get as much as possible of the pruning done this fall? 

 Well, that's up to you. If the winter is mild, it will probably 



