Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-04-23
Department.
Pruning Orchards--Spring Pruning.

rrunlhH VrcDaTus--opTlhS Eruhihg'
Farmers are, we suppose universally busy, about
this time, in pruning their orchards. This habit
of early spring pruning has been handed down TO
US from English customs, and farmers do It because
il always has been done Besides, about this time
men have leisure, aud would like to begin the sea-
sons work and pruning seems quite natural EN-
ployment with which TO introduce the labors of the
year.
It is not possible for American, but more en-
phatically for Western cultyaors to do worse than
20 pattern upon the example OF British and cont-
mental authorities in the matter of orchards and
vineyards. The summers of England are moist
cool and deficient in light Our summers are ex-
acty the reverse-dry, ieryid, and brilliant The
stimuli Of the elements with them much below,
and with US much above par. In consequence
their trees have but moderate growth are
inclined TO excessive growth.
Their whole system of open culture and we'll
training is founded upon the necessity OF husband
ing all their resources. To avail themselves Of ey-
cry particle of light, they keep open the head of
their trees that the parsmonious sunshine shall
penetrate every part oflbe tree Let this be done
with u.s. and there are many Of our trees that would
be killed by the force of the suns rays upon the
naked branches in single season, or very much
eneebed. Por the same general reason the Eng
lish reduce the quantity Of bearing wood shorten
ing part or wholly cutting it out that the residue
having the whole energy Of the tree concentrated
upon it, may perfect its fruit Our difficulty being
excess Of vitality, this system of shortening and
cutting out, would cause the tree TO send out suck
ers from the root and trunk aud would fill the head
Of the tree with rank shoots. or gourmands. What
would be thought Of the people of the to.rd zone
should they borrow their customs Of clothing from
the practice Of GreeDlapd1 II would be as ration
al il is for orchardists in land whose summers
are long aud OF high temperature, TO copy the Gus
toms of land whose summers are prodigal of fog
and rain, but penurious of heat and light
Except to remove dead. diseased, or interfering
branches, do not cut az all.
But if pruning is to be done, wait till after corn
planting. The best time TO prune is the time when
healing will quickest follow cutting. This is not
in early spring but in early summer. The elements
from which new wood is produced are not drawn
from the rising sap, but from that which descends
between the bark and wood of the tree. THIS sap,
called true sap is the upward sap sler il has gone
through that chemical laboratory, the leaf Each
leaf is chemical contractor, doing up its part of
the work of preparing sap for use, fast it is
sent up TO il from the root through the interior sap
passages Ia the leaf the sap gives off and receives
certain properties, and, when thus elaborated il is
charged with all those elements required for the
formation aud sensation Of every part of vegetable
fabric. Descending, it gives out its various quail
ties, till it reaches the root and whatever is left
then passes out into the soil.
Every man will perceive that if tree is pruned
in the spring before it has leaf out there is no
sap provided to repair the wound. A slight granu.
lation may take place, in certain circumstances in |
some kinds Of plants, from the elements with which
the tree was stored during the former season but
in point of fact, cut usually remains without
change until this progress of spring puts the whole
vegetable economy into action.
In young and vigorous trees. this process may
moi IN 0cr Rut
ing feeble by age will soon manifest the result Of
this injudieous practice, by blackened s,umps, by
cankered sores, and by decay
If one must begin to do something that looks
like spring work, let him 90 at more efficient
train of operations. With good spade inverl the
sod for several feet from the body of the tree With
a good scraper remove all dead bark. Dilute (old)
soft soap with urine take stiff shoe brush and
60 to securing the trunk and main branches. This
will be labor TO some purpose and, before you
have gone through large orchard faithfully, your
zeal for spring work will have become so far tenn
pered with knowledge, that you will be willing to
let pruning alone till after corn planting
Two exceptions or precautions should be men,
toned
/. In the use of the wash, new soap is more caus-
tic than old and the sediments of soap barrel
much more than the mass Of soap Sometimes
trees have been injured by applying a causc alka
in too great strength There is little danger of
this when tree is rough and covered with dead
bark or dirt; but when il is smooth and has no
scurf il is more liable to suffer. Trees should not
be washed in dry and warm weather The best
time is just before rain
When fruit trees are found TO have suffered from
the winter as they have done severely this winter
pruning cannot be too early and hardly too severe
If left TO grow, the heat Of spring days ermens the
sap and spreads blighsahroughout the tree; where
as BY severe cutting, there is chance Of least of