266 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



January, 1912 



These are usually the result of "fire 

 blight," a bacterial disease, for which 

 the only known remedy is to cut off the 

 diseased wood, and doing it some little 

 way back beyond where it is healthy, 

 disinfect both the wound and saw with 

 corrosive sublimate (one part to iooo 

 parts of water), and cover the wound with 

 gas tar. Next, notice where the branches 

 are thickening up, so as to exclude the sun- 

 shine and thin judiciously. The tree 

 should be pruned so that the sun will 

 shine some time during the day on every 

 twig that will bear fruit. This will also 

 thin the fruit and it also f aciliates spraying, 

 for pruning should always precede spraying. 



Now all pruning operations must be 

 governed by the previous treatment of the 

 tree. If it has been 

 pruned low down, 

 with open centre, 

 try to preserve the 

 original form as far 

 as you can, and re- 

 tain plenty of strong 

 healthy wood for 

 bearing surface, but 

 don't spoil the tree 

 or sacrifice a good 

 crop of apples to get 

 the tree in ideal 

 shape. Pruning is 

 not an end, only a 

 means to an end. 



Usually the old 

 apple tree that has 

 become weak and 

 diseased so that it 

 appears to be good 

 only for fuel, can 

 be renewed in much 

 less time than it 

 takes to grow a new 

 tree; if it has a 

 large root growth 

 and a healthy trunk 

 and branches, plan 

 to grow an entirely 

 new head. The 

 right thing to do is 

 to let the tree stand 

 and cut back the 

 larger branches to 

 stubs, according to 

 the condition of the 

 tree. Cover all 

 wounds with gas tar, 

 as should be done 

 in all pruning opera- 

 tions. Many "water 

 sprouts" will grow 

 on these branches. 

 Thin them and allow 

 the strongest to 

 grow so as to form 

 the right shaped 

 head. If you wish 

 to change the va- 

 riety, you can graft 

 in due season. In 

 three to four years 

 you will have a new 

 tree that will bear 



many large crops of fine apples provided 

 you feed, cultivate, spray and prune it 

 intelligently. 



Other fruit trees that should be pruned 

 mostly during their dormant season, if 

 pruned at all, are pears, cherries, peaches, 

 plums, quinces, and nectarines. Pears of 

 slow growth, like Bartlett, and Seckel, 

 need but little pruning. Just pinch off 

 some sprouts on the centre of the young 

 trees to start them rightly, and if on only 

 moderately rich soil they need but little 

 else. Kieffer pears which make a more 

 rapid growth than other kinds, generally 

 are better for some pruning on the same 

 principles as we prune apple trees. 



I do not prune cherries ordinarily, 

 except to head them low, and thin the 



Plant one apple tree, at least. It is worth while both for ornament and utility, and in time becomes 

 real shade tree. Note the vase-like form, which is the ideal 



branches when too close together, but let 

 Nature have her own way, and I get a 

 better and more symmetrical tree. For- 

 merly we have believed that peaches and 

 plums should have much of their wood 

 cut off annually, especially in rich soils ; but 

 progressive growers are now doing much 

 less pruning and part of this is done in 

 summer to check growth, and induce 

 early bearing. I believe more and more 

 that it is against nature to prune any tree 

 heavily in one year. When pruning trees 

 prepare them for later spraying for insect 

 and scale diseases by scraping off the loose 

 bark. Insects, fungi, etc., usually pass the 

 winter under the bark and in crevices of 

 the tree. In this way the pear psylla 

 winters safely. March and April spraying 

 is more effective 

 when the loose bark 

 is removed. 



During winter is 

 also a good time to 

 study the matter of 

 fertilizers for the 

 trees. There is too 

 much money thrown 

 away in buying com- 

 mercial fertilizers. 

 We cannot afford to 

 feed our trees with 

 chemicals alone; 

 they lack the one 

 essential, humus. 

 Stable manure com- 

 posted with raw 

 ground phosphate 

 rock is about all 

 that can be desired 

 as fertilizer for our 

 trees, if supple- 

 mented with some 

 potash in the form 

 of wood ashes or 

 muriate of potash; 

 and those who keep 

 animals can use the 

 ground rock in the 

 stable in the winter, 

 and so cheaply make 

 an ideal fertilizer for 

 all their fruits. Do 

 not pay for stable 

 manure when cover 

 crops can be grown. 

 If your land will not 

 grow clover, try a 

 dressing of lime in 

 early spring. Apply 

 one ton of stone, or 

 caustic, or two tons 

 of air slacked or 

 ground lime to or- 

 dinary soils for grow- 

 ing clover as a cover 

 crop. Slack stone 

 lime by covering 

 with earth, then 

 spread and harrow 

 in. Clover and 

 chemicals will feed 

 trees more cheaply 

 than stable manure. 



