52 



GENERAL REMARKS ON PRUNING. 



We are frequently asked : " What is the best time to prune ?" 

 Our reply is always : <J When the trees are in a dormant state, 

 roughly, from the I5th 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, we 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 take 

 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 check, and then another new growth, 

 which is absolutely no advantage ; but if the right time is selected 

 (and it can only be determined on each season by careful obser- 

 vation, 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. 



W T e 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 

 keep the tree well open, and not to have too many main limbs; 

 this appears to be the key to all their pruning. The result is that 

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

 ting to be done. 



