Correct Pruning Essential to Success 
T^RUNING is the removal from a plant of the part or parts 
which are undesirable or superfluous, and the object is to 
improve results or to make them more certain. Nature’s pur¬ 
pose is the production of a large number of seed, but the gar¬ 
dener wants quality fruit. 
The first thing to develop is a good framework to carry 
a load of fruit and to make it easiest to spray and harvest. One 
must picture in advance what one wants to accomplish. 
HOW TO PRUNE—Make all cuts smooth, close to the 
trunk or branch, or close to a bud. 
TREATING WOUNDS—The general practice has been to 
paint wounds over two inches in diameter with a paint of pure 
white lead and pure linseed oil. Some use creosote, a very thin 
coating, over the center, but this must not be allowed to 
touch the young wood or young bark. Some recommend Sodium 
Silicate ("water glass”). 
Pruning Apple 
The apple bears on "spurs” and this 
fruit-bearing’ wood must be encouraged 
and preserved. 
The best form or shape is the Modi¬ 
fied Leader Type, which has more and 
better fruiting wood, is likely to bear 
younger, avoid weak crotches and has 
well-spaced branches and a low, 
spreading top. The training to this type 
is as follows: 
If the tree you plant is a “whip” 
(with no side branches), the only prun¬ 
ing is to cut off the top 28 to 30 inches 
from the ground. This is to restore the 
balance between the top and the root 
system since a part of the roots may 
have been lost in digging and the small 
fibrous roots have to form again from 
the larger roots. 
Assuming that a whip has been 
planted, during the first summer pick 
out the branches you want to keep and 
pinch back the others. This will cause 
the selected branches to make a better 
growth. 
At the end of the first growing sea¬ 
son, before growth starts in the spring 
it will be necessary to cut off close to 
the trunk all the branches except those 
selected to form the framework of your 
tree. Then shorten the leader a little 
and also any side branches that are 
too long or unequal in length. 
If you plant a well-branched tree it 
will be necessary to remove all but 3 to 
5 side branches, selecting those well 
distributed about the trunk and spaced 
6 to 8 inches apart. Also leave one 
branch growing from the top which 
will be the leader. This should be short¬ 
ened a little and the side branches 
selected also cut back one-third to one- 
half their length. 
The fourth season two or three more 
side branches should be selected from 
the central leader and these may be 
headed back if they threaten to over¬ 
shadow the lower limbs. When you 
have sufficient side branches, probably 
about six, the leader should be cut off 
just about the top side branch. 
Prom then on prunirig should be as 
little as is necessary for the proper 
spacing of framework branches and 
keeping them in proper proportion. It 
will be confined to removal of branches 
or shoots, or,heading them back if out 
of proportion to other branches. 
Pruning Plum 
Plum bears partly on spurs and part¬ 
ly on last season’s growth. 
Some growers at planting time prune 
the same as with peach; others, when 
setting branched one or two-year olds, 
select three to five branches, cut them 
back one-third to one-half and head 
back the leader proportionally. 
Intercrops 
Fruit trees do not use all the ground 
the first few years and various crops 
are sometimes used to secure earlier 
returns from the land. Annual crops 
such as early beets, turnips, radishes, 
peas and beans are good, but late vege¬ 
tables should be avoided since they re¬ 
quire late cultivation, which prevents 
the trees from maturing properly be¬ 
fore cold weather. Currants, gooseber¬ 
ries, strawberries and raspberries have 
also produced good results. With straw¬ 
berries there is danger that the trees 
will not receive proper cultivation after 
the first season. 
Grain crops should never be used. 
A space 6 to 8 ft. should be left un¬ 
planted along each row of trees and 
increased in width each year. 
Of course, if intercrops are grown 
more liberal fertilization must be given. 
4 Bushels Per Tree in 4 Years. 
This is a Black Ben, one of 500 
Neosho trees, Delicious, Black Ben, 
King David and Stayman, planted by 
Mr. Oope in Newton County, Missouri. 
Many of these trees bore 4 bushels per 
tree the 4th year. 
Pruning Peach 
The fruit is borne on last year’s 
wood. After the tree is planted, cut off 
the top 18 to 24 inches above the 
ground and cut off any side branches 
about an inch from the trunk, leaving 
one or two good buds. 
During the first season when the 
growth is four to six inches long, 
choose three to five side branches on 
different sides of the trunk and well 
spaced. Assuming that you select three 
branches, the highest would be about 
two feet above the ground and the low¬ 
est branch about a foot. Every three or 
four weeks during the first summer, 
pinch off the tip ends of all the other 
branches. If these are very numerous, 
some of them may be cut off close to 
the trunk. If this pinching is done, no 
winter pruning will be necessary. 
During the second summer select two 
or three shoots growing outward, not 
upright, on the main branches and 
pinch back the others. 
During the third summer, less pinch¬ 
ing back is required aad during the 
fourth season practically none is neces¬ 
sary. All that is needed can be done in 
the winter pruning. 
The result should be a tree low¬ 
headed, spreading, with a well-balanced 
frame-work that will produce large 
crops of quality fruit and come into 
bearing young. 
As the trees get older it will be neces¬ 
sary to prune the tops more heavily in 
late spring (some growers delay this 
pruning until the trees are in full 
bloom). If the twig and limb growth 
lower down in the tree begins to die 
out it indicates that the centers and top 
are not open enough. If these twigs 
and limbs in the lower part of the tree 
develop a long growth it shows the top 
and centers are too open. 
Pruning Cherry 
The fruit is borne largely on spurs, 
but also from lateral buds on last sea¬ 
son’s growth. 
One-year Sweet Cherry are “whips” 
and when transplanted, the top is cut 
off close to a bud 2V 2 to 3 feet from the 
ground. 
Two-year Sweet Cherry and both 
one and two-year Sour Cherry, are 
branched and when pruned after plant¬ 
ing, from three to seven side branches 
may be left, selecting those that are 
well spaced and on different sides of 
the trunk. 
From then on little pruning is re¬ 
quired. It may be necessary to remove 
some branches that cross, or some that 
grow back into the trunk, or some that 
are too close, or to thin out the top 
before the branches become so thick 
that they shade and kill out the lower 
wood. It is desirable to encourage 
fruiting in the lower part of the tree. 
Heavy pruning can be avoided by doing 
a little every year as needed. 
Pruning Pear 
The pear also bears fruit like the 
apple, on “spurs,” and is pruned much 
the same. Most varieties, however, tend 
to grow in an upright form and are 
usually' headed lower. Light pruning 
is the rule and cuts should be made 
above outside buds whenever possible. 
Heavy pruning induces young growth, 
which is more susceptible to blight. 
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