American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-03-01
ON PRUNING OF ORCHARDS.
From Co1e ON Frait 1reps.)


cessiy is SO general, that the most careless
will seldom omit it. Such however is the want of
skill ID the operators that total neglect would be less
preJudicia han the per fo nance Of it. If judicial
ly done, pruning promotes health and early fruitful
ness and will continue a tree 10 usefulness and
vigor, long after the period OF its dur alon.
Nothing has cont ibuted more to the imperfect
knowledge OF this operation, than the wordy and
unintelieent systems which have been published
respecting it. In practical system it is I'M
necessary to lay much stress on wood branches and
FRUIT branches; which, however. we'll understood,
ny an observing and intelligent gardner, can scarce
| ly be comprehended by the laborer employed in
pruning an orchard. From the rapdity Of yegeta-
ton, which is generally ascrihed to the nature OF
our cimste, excessive pruning is very apt to gene
rate an excessive number oil suckers from The limbs
Of apple trees, which if suffered to grow, are more
luxurious 10 the production of fruit. thar the woody
branches which removed; our great heat and
dry atmosphere. render close pruning less recessa
Try here than IN England from whence we derive
the most OF our instruction on this point. A good
general rule is, never 10 shorten The branches, IN.
less to improve the figure Of the tree and then to
take them off at the separation, very close. that
the wound may heal we'll and soon; the branches
should shoot much as possible in increasing dis
tances, as they proceed from the common centre,
linclInng little upwards. by which means the sap
will be evenly impelled and better distributed;
the ranges should not approach too near 10 each
other, for the admission of the rays of the sun is
necessary TO the production and perfect maturity of
fine favored fruit-n cutting off branch, it should
be done as close possible, never leaving stump,
for The bark grow over it. and disease in the
wood will inevitably follow If the wound produced
10y the separation be vey large cover it with tar
thick paint if small fresh COW dung will be the
best plaster. ! have healed very large wounds from
the knawing of calves, horses and sheep. by Ibe-
raj application of this plaster, secured by bandage
of paper or linen
| When trees are much pruned they are apt to
throw numerous sut krrs from The boughs in the
follow ing summer, These should b. robbed off
when they first appear, they may be easily bro
ken of while young and brittle cuitnl is apt to-
increase their number. Trees differ much il their
form. and require very different treatment in pru-
ming. II may not he necessary in our warm cli-
mate to tr quite close as in England but great
care should be observed to take of every limb
which crosses an oher or is likely to do so at fu-
ture time Those who can conveniently. will find
beneficial effect from forming the heads o. their
trees in the nursery the year before they remove
them, When ira, splanted they will thrive more
rapidly from not having been piunrd at he ,lme
! of removal which IT, some measure txh.usts and
weakens the tree. | have been lat ery in The
habit of giving the prir cpal pruning TO my orchards,
after they have beer planted on, about years;
orous as pc nit any natural detects in lhe forms
to be corrected with safety. by free pruning and
forcing their branches the peculiarly OF the
growth which characterize each kind is then visible.
and uniformity OF shape may be more easily attain.
led.
Apple trees should be 80 formed. as to allow
man and horse to pass under them in ploughing
this elevation of the branches, while it protects
them from cattle, opens the ground to the sautary
influence Of the sun, on the crops OF grain and
Igrass.
No error is more universal, than anxiety Tor
early productiveness in orchard; is generally
obtained at the expense Of much eventual profit, and
10y great diminution of The size and vgor OF the
trees; believing early fecundy to he injurious to
the vigor and perfection Of plants, am always at-
tentive to pluck from the trees these evidences of
early maturity in the first stages Of their existence.
II was a common practice. some years since, to
apply Mr. Forsythe's celebrated composition TO
large wounds produced by pruning; that novelty,
like many others, had its day among us, and has
finally lost its popularity, from general belief of
Its nefficacy.-Mr. Forsythe at later period,
nounced as new discovery. what had been long
known in this part of our country, that an applica
ton of COW dung and urine, was more eficacious in
healing the wounds Of trees than his plaster,
in the moist climate Of England In America our
winter fiosts decompose it, and our summer heats
dry it up completely, as 10 render it useless for
the purposes Intended
very destructive fire happened at St. Angus
tine on the god ult. broke out about O'Clock at
night and lasted till between and 4next morning.
A good deal of damage done. The Custom
House was burnt and six or seven buildings to the
North of 1.-THE Custom House books aid papers
were saved Among the dwelling houses destroy
ed, we understand, was the and elegan, one be.
longing to the Marquis De Fougeres'
We are mortified says the u. S. Gazette to per-
ceiye statement in the Piusburg Democrat, that
the effigy of Mr.. Clay had been burnt in that city.