66 
Pruning and Care of Fruit Trees, 
Bat though the sap is constantly descending as 
well as ascending, it descends in a very much 
diminished quantity, owing to the escape of 
moisture through the leaves and branches. The 
exchange of oxygen for carbon is about equal 
in quantity , but owing to evaporation, the down¬ 
ward current is not only less but different in 
quality, is of a thicker and more viscid consis¬ 
tence, and the volume is rendered still less in 
every successive advance it makes towards the 
roots, as it is constantly appropriated between 
the inner bark and the alburnum or outward 
wood, for the future growth of the tree. 
Notwithstanding the much more favorable 
condition for healing, when trees are pruned at 
the proper season, it is always especially 
when large limbs have been cut offj to apply a 
salve or dressing to the wound. We give for 
this purpose the following composition: L-2 lb. 
tallow, 2 lbs. tar, and 1 oz. saltpetre thoroughly 
mixed while warm: or equal parts of clay and 
fresh cow dung with strong fresh ashes added to 
the mixture: or tar and brick dust. 
Young trees in the nursery should always be 
trimmed effectually the year before transplant¬ 
ing, which if done after the formation of the 
wood, at the time above specified, is equivalent 
to pruning when set out in the fall or succeed¬ 
ing spring. When the transplanted tree has 
begun to thrive vigorously, the pruning should 
be carefully attended to every season, and the 
supernumerary branches cut away, leaving such 
only as have ample room to push themselves 
out to the light and sun, and allowing none to 
cross each other. By cutting off the limb while 
young a smaller wound is made, and this is al¬ 
most immediately healed in the vigorous tree. 
An equilibrium should be kept up as nearly as 
possible in the top, so as to have the trunk the 
centre of gravity. All decayed or partially de¬ 
cayed limbs should be at once severed from the 
tree. They unfit the remainder of the tree for 
the full performance of its duty, as effectually 
as cramp or rheumatism in a limb does the human 
system. In plumbs and cherries, the small 
limbs cut off should be separated an inch or 
two from its junction wdth the main stem, and 
all the little spurs must be left, as these afford 
the buds for the embryo fruit. The apple, the 
pear and the peach should be trimmed close to 
the fork or crotch, which will afford a better 
opportunity for the healing of the wound. Such 
limbs should be removed, as come from the 
trunk or other limbs in a manner likely to be 
split or broken by high winds or a large burden 
of fruit. There is not so much danger of the 
apple in this respect as from other trees, as it is 
a peculiarly tough and adhesive wood. But 
with other fruit trees, a skilful eye will do much 
to prevent the lamentable sight of breaking or 
splitting down. The axe or hatchet ought 
never to be used unless by one skilful enough 
to leave a perfectly smooth surface. If a saw 
is used, the surface ought to be perfectly smoothed 
before the salve is applied, and especially around 
the rim. When these operations are carefully 
and skilfully performed, a large increase in the 
quantity and quality of the fruit is the invariable 
result. 
But there are some other important matters 
to be attended to at this season, connected with 
the orchard. The bark on the trunk, when 
loose and rough, or hide-bound , ought to bo 
scraped off with a hoe or other instrument, but 
never to the injury of the live bark. A wash 
of strong soap suds, with the addition of a little 
saltpetre, or common salt or urine, should be 
applied, or if this is not convenient, a good coat¬ 
ing of lime and salt, (common whitewash.) 
This application has a tendency to oust insects 
and destroy them. 
The turf over the roots immediately around 
the trunk should be removed, and a quantity of 
ashes, lime, or a little salt placed there, which at 
the same time that it adds to the nutriment of 
the tree, has a tendency to destroy insects and 
their eggs deposited there. 
The addition of swine and poultry to an or¬ 
chard during the season of vegetation is invalu¬ 
able. The curculio, one of the deadliest foes to 
fruit, is almost annihilated by their presence, 
and other vermin are to a great extent destroy¬ 
ed by them. Slugs and caterpillars that are 
fastened on the trees are mueh diminished and 
sometimes entirely eradicated by the little feath¬ 
ered bipeds that visit the orchard ; and this of¬ 
fers a strong inducement, where taste and hu¬ 
manity are wanting, to keep the little ^feather¬ 
ed bipeds from disturbing them, or breaking up* 
their nests. Such enemies as maintain their 
ground against all these remedies and precau¬ 
tions, should be removed by hand. 
We may as well add here, a practice, long 
and successfully used in a portion of Europe, 
and with great effect in parts of our own coun¬ 
try. It is to remove a narrow rim of bark im¬ 
mediately after the buds begin to swell in the 
Spring, from the limbs required to bear. This 
is done at a distance of 2 or 3, to 8 inches from 
the base of the limb, according to its size, and 
is speedily performed by passing a sharp knife 
entirely around the limb in two places, say one 
quarter to three eighths of an inch apart, and with 
the point of the knife, remove the bark entirely 
to the wood, but not cut into or disturb that 
Mr. Thompson says in the Kentucky Farmer, 
that a limb thus prepared, which was less than 
one fourth of the tree, yielded 5 bushels of fair 
and well filled apples, while all the remainder 
of it bore but one bushel of small indifferent 
