22 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., 1898. 
PRUNING. 
Jn a colony like Queensland, where the conditions are so variable, it is 
impossible to lay down any hard-and-fast rules for pruning, as the growth made 
by and habit of the same variety of fruit tree often varies considerably when 
the tree is planted in different districts or on different soils. At the same time 
there is a great want of knowledge of the principles of pruning throughout the 
colony ; so that my object is more to show the best method of starting our trees 
and of pruning them for the first two or three years, rather than to go in for 
any elaborate description of the many methods of pruning various fruit trees. 
The lack of a thorough knowledge of the principles of pruning fruit trees 
is detrimental to our fruit industry, inasmuch as the neglect of pruning ig 
often accountable for a large proportion of the inferior fruit produced as well 
as for the dirty and diseased condition of many of our orchards. 
The object of pruning is to produce a strong symmetrical tree, bearing 
large fruit of fine quality protected from sunburn, evenly distributed over the 
tree, and so arranged as to be easily gathered. The main trunk and branches 
‘should also be protected from sunburn, and the tree should be so shaped as to be 
easily approached by the horse in cultivation. Pruning to produce fruit, which 
is so necessary in England, will seldom be required here, as our trees are 
naturally so prone to produce fruit that it should be more the object of the 
fruitgrower to reduce bearing wood, and thus decrease the burden of the tree. 
This would take the place in part of thinning out the fruit-—a very necessary 
operation where quality 1s desired, and one that it pays well to give thorough 
attention to, as it greatly improves the size and appearance of the remainder, 
ensuring a ready sale at good prices. Even when the market is glutted with 
ordinary fruit, there is always a market for anything really first-class. 
Should, however, the tree run entirely to wood instead of developing fruit, 
then it will be necessary to prune for fruit, and this is done either by root 
pruning or summer pruning, as it is found that by those means the wood 
growth is checked and fruit spurs are developed. Root pruning should be done 
in winter, and it consists in cutting off all roots with a sharp spade at a 
distance of from 4 to 6 feet from the trunk, or, in case of old trees, of cuttin 
the roots on one side one season, and those on the other the next, so that the 
shock to the tree may not be too great, as would be the probable result if all 
the roots were cut at once. Root pruning is usually of most value in the case 
of pears and strong-growing American varieties of plums; butasa rule, where 
the orchard is at all deeply ploughed, the plough does all the root pruning 
required by other varieties of fruit trees. 
Summer pruning comprises pinching back laterals and converting them 
into fruit spurs, instead of allowing them to grow unchecked and produce 
unnecessary wood, which will have to be removed the next winter pruning 
and also in the suppression of undesirable growths which would have to be 
removed afterwards, so that the energies of the tree are devoted to building 
ay the necessary permanent branches rather than towards unnecessary growths 
which are of no value. Many varieties of apples, pears, plums, and apricots 
are greatly benefited by this pinching back of laterals, as it clothes the main 
limbs of the tree with a system of fruit spurs, which will bear abundant fruit 
in a position where the tree is best able to bear it, Summer pruning is of 
great value in the shaping of young trees, and in this colony, if properly 
carried out, it will be found to be of equal importance to winter pruning, as 
the young tree can be brought into correct shape much earlier than in the case 
where winter pruning only is done; and the formation of long straggling 
branches more or less bare of fruit spurs or laterals, and consequently 
unprotected from the sun, is prevented. 
Pruning to restore vigour to the tree is only applicable to old trees in 
which the root is still sound and vigorous and able to carry another crop. 
The form of pruning best adapted to Queensland conditions is a modifica- 
tion of what is known as the “ vase’ system on a low head. 
