76 



Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



standing on the ground. In planting the peach it is better to cut back 

 the l)ranch to within one to two buds of the trunk and to endeavor to head 

 the tree within 8 inches of the ground. We are often asked regarding the 

 value of trimming in late August or September, that is, cutting off the 

 ends of the shoots to induce early ripening. Apparently there is very little 

 in this. The most successful growers of the peach do the needed trim- 

 ming in the month of March, while growers in Michigan regard it as wise 

 to grow an open head to admit the sun-light and air, and this aids in thin- 

 ning the fruit, yet in western Nebraska and Kansas we should hesitate to 

 trim the peach to an open head. We find in observing the behavior of a 

 good many trees that the peach tree with the open head suffers more from 

 hail storms, to which we are liable, and apparently would suffer more 

 from the late spring freezes. Our liability to late spring freezes is such 

 that we should hesitate to thin out the amount of fruit in the tree by 

 trimming in advance of knowing what the spring might bring forth and 

 would prefer to thin the fruit as needed at a later period rather than risk 

 the thinning of the fruit in March. 



In handling of the grape vine we would regard it as of decided ad- 

 vantage to trim in early iSovember and to cover each and every vine be- 

 fore winter. 



In the pruning of the shade trees it is neither wise nor safe to trim 

 to a high trunk aiming to secure high headed trees during the early 

 years of growth, but rather plant with lower heads removing the branches 

 gradually and giving heigth of trunk only as a broad head has been de- 

 veloped that should secure the most vigorous circulation of sap, and the 

 necessary shade of trunk. Excessive pruning at any one time is a serious 

 shock to the tree and lessens root growth and development of trunk and 

 head. The aim should be at all times to carry the most abundant foliage 

 possible since large leaf growth coincides with corresponding root growth 

 and the vigorous building up of the tree. To guard against the splitting 

 off of the important branches by violent winds, head trees so that the 

 principal branches come out at intervals and never two branches of quite 

 equal strength at the same point. The tree can easily outgrow the loss of 

 small branches and if the branches of the tree are guided as suggested 

 there is not likely to be much loss from the splitting out of large branches. 



E. F. Stevens. 



Crete, Nebr. 



