264 



ORCHARD MANAGEMENT 



the trees. Pruning may be performed at any time during 



the fall or winter, but the wounds do not start to heal 



until spring. 



All trees should be pruned in such a manner as to pre- 



vent decay and to preserve sound trunks. This is ac- 



complished by cut- 

 ting the branches in 

 such a way that 

 they will heal read- 

 ily. The living and 

 growing part of a 

 tree is the cambium 

 layer that lies just 

 beneath the bark. 

 All the new cells are 



produced in this tis- 

 gue some Q f them 



being pushed outward to produce the bark, while those on 

 the inside become the wood tissue. When a branch is 

 removed, healing tissue is produced in this cambium layer 

 and gradually grows over the wound. This protects the 

 wood cells beneath it from the fungi and bacteria that cause 

 decay. 



To hasten the healing of wounds all branches should 

 be cut as close to the trunk or branch as possible. In 

 pruning twigs it is also better to prune to a bud, that is, 

 to cut the twig just above a bud, which draws the sap to 

 the wound. If a limb is cut eight or ten inches beyond the 

 trunk, the wound does not heal readily and when a stub 

 becomes decayed the disease travels down through the 

 heart of the tree, causing a hollow trunk. Such a tree 

 blows over easily during a heavy storm. To protect 



Fig. 141. Proper and improper removal of a large 

 limb. The trunk on right shows the proper method. 



