Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-03-09
For the L.wisburg Chronicle
March Work in the Orchard.

| PRuSISG.-This is the proper season &c
prune and form the heads ofyoung fru!t irees
( Where older trees, which are in bearing, ,neeC
pruning, il may be done now, but the rush
! of sap in May will cause the emission Of nu
merous sprouts, which must again be cut of
and thrown away-a loss which would be OBJ
Waited by pruning in September, just before
growth closes. The remaining growth, al Thai
season, is too feeble TO produce wood, but will
lodge in the fruit buds and mature them, thus
producing fruit instead of wood.
For young trees, growth aud strength and
proper form are first requisites, and they
should be acquired before the trees are allow
ed to fruit.
Prune them freely now, cut offevery branch
that will ever be likely TO need removal. II
left 10 become large, ihe wound will not heal,
but will introduce decay.
The heads of apple and sweet cherry trees
should be formed with a view 10 admit of
climbing easily, and bearing load Of fruit
without breaking down or failing TO rPen
well there mus; be free circulation Of air and
exposure 10 light, for without the fullest sup
ply Of these. the growth will be feeble and the
frnit lnsipld.
The bcs, pattern Of form for a young fruit
tree, IS that afforded by young white pine,
in which the main central STEM or leader Is
stronger than any Of the side branches, and
where The latter are evenly disposed IN tiers
and are stronger IN proportion 10 their age.
Bat in an apple or cherry tree, there should be
but three branches 10 each her, as four will
not admit ofclimbing well, and the uers should
be 20 TO 80 inches apart.
If "a Young tree has not branches properly
placed, they may be produced by pruning off
every one Of the side branches SO iha, the
stem will be a straigh, stake, and number Of
shorts will be emitted, from which those can
be selected which are suitably situated. and
the others checked By pnching th5lr end:
during summer and cutting entirely away In
the next spiilg. This cou wilr.tard bear
ing, bu, Will add greatly 10 the vigor and SYM
metrv and, IN the end, 10 protuse and long con-
tlnued irul,fulness.
Not leaf should be removed from young
tree during summer. Every rootht that col
lects sap must have leaf at the other end of
its sap pipe" 10 digest it and excite It's supply.
And as the health and viSor of tree depend
primarily upon the number and efficiency of
the roots, and as they can act but very slight
ly without leaves, the importance Of the latter
Is evident.
The mos, that should be done in the way
OF pruning a newly planted tree during sum-
mer, is 10 check over-uXurian, or misplaced
branches by pinchlns their ends. The har-
dIest forest trees die outright If all their
leaves are stripped off just when growth is
active, as in May or early June; and this Is
a frequent effect of severe hail storms occur
ring at that season.
The strength of a tree depends greatly
upon the height which the sap is obliged to
ascend up naked stem. The lower the
branches, the more vigorous they always are,
provided they are not growing IN the shade
Of others. Pear, peach, and plum trees have
tender bark; the stems soon dry up, If un-
ShtiteEC4 ny raves tic sap Sdiilot lutl! dS-
cend at all, and the tree siarves.
These trees should therefore have the lower
set of branches not over three feet from the
ground. The head should be formed as for an
apple tree, bu, the trees may he closer togeh-
er, as we Dud not climb INTO trees that do
not grow over 10 feet high For plum and
peach trees, this form is particularly advisable,
as they are liable TO break down or split apart
if the stem forks, or If any Of the side branches
are srroporliona'cly long or heary, and thus
The hopes Of the culuri>t are laid in the dust
inst when excited To the hishes, degree bv
the beauty of the swelling and redIening fruit.
Boalsburg, Pa, Feb. 1855 W.