The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-03-30
WA.EN To PRIME

A correspondent has furnished US with the fol- |
lowing text AT hat time in the year should
the different kinds Of pruning be performed, in
the old attitudes Of the north aad in the milder
Climates Of the south.
We hold that pruning id general, in our
northern climates safest after the severe rosts
Of winter are over, Immediately before the swell
ling Of the buds When performed early in the
winter or in the autumn, as is practiced properly
in mild climates, the ends Of the cut shoots dry
up, shrivel and die losing the buds intended to
make the leading shoots, and leaving dead
points that reqnire much labor to prune offafter
wards or if large branches are cut of, leaving
broad, fresh surface, the wood and bark dry
mp and require . long time to heal. We per-
form most of our pruning in the month OF
March,. although great deal Of the less exact
nursery pruning il done in February. South
ward, a. the winter 10 mild and spring early, we
should prefer pruning very early in the winter
or Immediately after the fall of the leaf, because
hctivify in the functions of the tree commences
early, or scarcely ceases, as we must believe it
does during our intensely cold weather, and by
pruning early we economist the sap and strength
Of the Tree.
"Prxning IN the season aChen the ieGrcs are
on" The only pruning we hold TO be sound,
safe, and commendable, at thisseason, is that Of
the fsgsr and thumb, in o,her words pinching.
1t 10 quite inconsistent with good management
to rear crop Of shoots and then cut them away.
This can only be avoided by nipping superfu-
Gus and misplaced shoots at two or three inches
growth, before they attain to woodiness. This
eoon0mixes the force Of the tree and turns it
mto channel where it will promote, instead OF
Frustrating, the ends we are aiming at. For in.
stance, If We plant young tree, and have prun-
ed il with view to . certain FORM and contra
~ to our expectations shout breaks out at an
unexpected point, assumes vigorous habit and
robs al the other parts, it would evidently be
nnwise to tolerate this intruder until it arrives at
full growth and then cut it away. Too many
trees are thus managed, by the neglect of SUN
iner pruning or pinching. We admit, however,
that there are casesin which the summer prun.
ing, Or entire looping off or cutting out branch
q Of considerable size, may be judicious and
safe. For instance, in the case Of neglected or
chaFd trees, in a luxuriant state, with dense
heads in which the fruit is deprived of air and
light In such cases, branches may be thinned
out and the cut surface heals over more rapidly
rid smoothly than at any other time. But it is
unsafe to produce any very sensible diminution
Of foliage, a. it arrests the growth of the tree.
All pruning ia the growing season, tends to
arrest growth Nurserymen know that slight
pruning Of stocks before budding, will SO arrest
growth % to make the bark adhere firmly
whom, before the pruning, if lifted freely. liz
on this principle that most all pruning, to pros
mots .ruitfuness, must be done, at point of /,
grsater or less activity Of growth. Late spring
pruning u often resorted to as means of sub
duing super abundant vigor, and it has thu
same effect % root pruning to a certain extent
--HOrfScultwyiSf for JanuGi n.