Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-03-24
aprtruIturaI.
Management Of Fruit Trees, &c.
Timely Hints.

AtWCiy htutoe
PRUNIHo. Every cutiyaior Of fruit
should thoroughly examine his orchard and
fruit garden, before he is interrupted by
the approaching busy season. Those who
have large trees should give theri the nee
essary pruning. A slight trimming every
year or two, is much better than the more
frequent practice Of heavy pruning after
years Of neglect.
The work should be done as early in the
month as possible, that the wounds may be.
come well dried before the sap flows
There is more judgmen, and care needed
in pruning large trees than in any other
part Of their management. The operator
should constantly bear in mind, that neat
handsome head is to be preserved that the
best shaped and most thrifty branches are
TO be left; aud that the light Of the sun
should be admitted as far rs practicable TO
all parts of the tree. A thrifty growth Of
the branches will thus be kept up aud in
connexion with good cultivation Of The soil
the fruit will possess the large size, and fine
favor and appearance, so eminenlly desira.
bic, and usually seen on young trees. The
advantage Of admitting the sunlight must be
obvious 10 every one who has noticed the
difference between the rich favor Of fruit
fully exposed TO the solar rays, and that
which has grown under a thick mass Of
branches and leaves. Indeed, so important
is this influence, that the exposed side Of an
apple is often found much richer in flavor
than the shaded side--ihe rich acid Of the
Esopus Spitzenburgh, and the sugary sweet
ness of the Tallman Sweeting, are most
strikingly observable under the dark red
surface Of the one, and brown sunny cheek
Of the other.
Large wounds made in pruning, should
be projected by suitable or-tighi and wa.
ter.proof coating. otherwise they will dry
and crack, admit rain, aud finally become
diseased from decay. The cheapest good
coating is mixture OF tar and brick dust,
applied hot the best and neatest is thick
solution of gum shelIac in alcohol, kept
corked tight, and applied with a brush.
PRUNING Peach TREFs.-Prrning the
peach is very little pracliced. simply be-
cause its great advantages are generally I'M
known. Most cultivators, however, must
have noticed the great difference in the size
ofthe peaches, and still more in their quail.
iy, growing in one case upon young aud
thrifty trees, and in the other, on old and
stunled ones. Old trees might be rendered
thrifty, aud productive of large fruit, If
regular system Of pruning were kept up
The tendency in the growth Of this tree,
when neglected, is TO form long and bare
branches, with leaves and fruit only at the
extremiiies, shutting out the light from the
rest Of the tree, and attended with slow aud
diminutive growth Judicions pruninI, by
shorteniRg-in, commenced while the tree is
yet young, aud continued yearly, will pre-
serve round, handsome head TO the tree,
and Young and thrifty shoots will start from
all parts Of the branches, even down 20 their
very commencement, at the upper extremity
OF their trunk. Old trees have, in some in.
stances, been much benefited even by the
rough and unskilful trimming by the winds,
and new and healthy branches have sprung
up and bore finely on old aud stun,sd trees,
which have been thus accidentally relieved
Of part Of their useless limbs. A. ].
Downing says 1--WE have seen two peach
trees oTthe same age side by side, one un-
pruned, and the other regularly skortensd-iR,
and both bearing about four bushels. The
frnit of the latter was, however Of double
the size, and incomparably finer" A sim
liar experiment, made the pas! season by
the writer, was attended with quite as great
SUCCESS.
RAsrBERRIEs-The should be pruned
as soon as the surface OF The ground be-
comes thawed in spring. All the old stems,
and all the smaller young shoots, should be
cleared away to the ground. aud about half
dozen Of the largest stems Of last years
growth left for bearing. Their upper ev-
,remities for foot OF Two should be cut of,
being weak and uleiess, and detrimental
from their weight and shade. The remain
ing stems, il not of stiff aud upright vari-
ely, should be loosely tied to stakes.
HARDY GRAPES need pruning early, be.
fore the sap flows and bieeding commences
A moderate bleeding need not be feared
but If proiuse, il is detrimental The soon.
or the work is done in The month the better.
The Isabella, Bland, Caiawba, and other
American varieties, are of such rampan,
growth, that when only few years old,
they bear most abundantly, and hence the
inexperienced cultivator concludes that |
pruning is not necessary, aud thai they do |
better without il. most erroneous con- |
clusion-for the vines by such neglec, soon
become mass Of thickly matted stems and
branches. their vigor is exhausted, aud d..
minutiye crops of poor fruit is the result
Bat by good pruning they may he kept in
perennial vigor and undiminished produc-
tivoness.
The great leading rule to follow, is to
keep the old wood down as near the ground |
as possible. aud to let new and vigorous
shoots, spring up, from the bearing branch
es, which must be ihinly and evenly disirib-
uted over the trellis, If these requisites
are strictly attended 10, heavy crors'of fine
fruit will many times repay the attention
given, whatever be the particular mode
adopted although the method Of training
horizontal arms, to sustain upright and |
parallel bearing shoots, is the most system.
attic and convenient Two different WAYS
OF management for this method have been
practiced. The FIRST is TO allow the old |
horizontal arms to remain, but to cut down
to one good bud, every year, every alternate
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