158 



GENESEE FARMER. 



June. 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT 



CONDUCTED BY P. BARRY 



Summer Management of Trees. 



" As the twig is bent the tree's inclined," is a 

 very old and true maxim, and one that should be 

 remembered by all cultivators of treerf. We 

 believe the ordinary mode of proceeding is, to 

 allow trees to grow as nature and circumstances 

 may direct during summer, and in winter or 

 spring correct by pruning, cS^c, any defects or 

 deformities that may have arisen. This is not 

 what we call good culture, and this is what most 

 people are, or ought to be, aiming at now-a-days. 

 Just about this time, (the Ist of June,) young 

 trees will be pushing vigorously, and as a gen- 

 eral thing, will have made growth enough to 

 enable the cultivator, (their tutor,) to perceive 

 what form they are about to assume — whellier 

 the young branches are proceeding from the 

 right place, and in the right direction, to reach 

 the desired form. If they are not, they should 

 be set right at once, by rubbing off shoots that 

 are not wanted, pinching the top off to retard 

 such as are pusiiing too vigorously, to the detri- 

 ment of others. An equality of growth among 

 the shoots intended for the main branches, or 

 frame-work of the tree, should be maintained ; 

 and where a surplus of small branches in the 

 interior are appearing, giving the tree a bushy 

 or twiggy look, a sufficient numljer of them 

 should be removed to allow the others to acquire 

 a full and vigorous growth. 



A standard tree, in an orchard, should have ^ 

 or 6 feel of a clean, straight stem. Straightness 

 can be perfectly obtained by keeping the young 

 tree tied to a stake, until it has acquired strength 

 and firmness enough to support itself in a straight 

 position. All shoois proceeding from the stem, 

 below the first tier of branches forming the head, 

 should be rubbed off with the hand while tender, 

 as, if allowed to grow, they retard the develop 

 ment of the head, and impair the form and habit 

 of the tree. In forming the head of a young 

 standard, a vigorous upright shoot should be se- 

 cured for a leader, and three or four others of 



the most vigorous to form branches or boughs. 

 A la.xness or slenderness of habit can be cor- 

 rected by pinching off the ends of the branches, 

 producing a more horizontal growth. 



Dwarf trees require more care than standards, 

 as their forms are more artificial. These should 

 branch near the ground, say 8 inches to a foot. 

 If the young tree, when planted, had not branch- 

 ed so low, it ought to have been cut down to 

 within three or four buds of the point where 

 the first branches are desired. Those who have 

 planted young trees intended for dwarfs or pyra- 

 mids, no doubt, attended to this matter at the 

 time of planting. And now, they must see that 

 a regularity and uniformity of growth is going 

 on — that the leader is proceeding vigorously up- 

 wards, and the side branches nicely balanced — 

 one not robbing and outgrowing, or overgrow- 

 ing the others — this is the point. We have just 

 spoken of the methods of obtaining this equi- 

 librium of growth. 



In a late number of the Farmer we spoke of 

 the form most suitable for the various fruit trees, 

 under certain circumstances, and the suggestions 

 we briefly offer now are simply intended to aid 

 the unpracticed hand in producing these forms. 

 In all cases we advise caution — toolitttle pruning 

 is not so bad as too much — too many shoots or 

 branches far better than too few. It will be 

 well for every cultivator to acquire a knowledge 

 of vegetable physiology — the theory of horticul- 

 ture, as well as a skilful practical use of the 

 knife. When he has done this, and studied 

 well the peculiar habits of growth and bearing 

 of the various trees, then he will have them en- 

 tirely under his control, and will be able effect 

 safely, and easily, any desired result. We have 

 all much to learn on these points, and the orch- 

 ard and garden is a good school. 



Protection of Fruit. 



Just at this time, when fruit is about ripening, 

 birds and insects commence their attacks. Cher- 

 ries, on account, perhaps, of their early ripen- 

 ing, and delicacy of texture, suffer most ; indeed, 

 in many places it is difficult to save any. One 

 of the most effectual methods of catching insects 

 is to have numbers of phials half filled with 

 sweetened water, hung in the tree — the insects 

 will make their way into them. We have heard 

 of thousands being trapped in a day. 



Close netting has frequently been used to pro- 

 tect fruit from Ijirds, but is seldom completely 

 effef^tual. A simple method, by means of pieces 

 of looking glass, was given in the last number 

 of the Far-iier, in Gleunhigs from our Foreign 

 Exchnnges, which it appears has been found ef- 

 fectual, and we find it copied far and wide in 

 the Horticultural Journals of Europe and this 

 countiy. 



