The Placer herald., 1858-07-17
THE HOUSE AND THE FARM.
Cutting-in Fruit Frees.

CuttlUS LII ulC XlCCo'
Cutting-in consists in shortening the limbs
of trees, with a view of promoting a more
compact growth of head or top, and nearer
to the ground than would otherwise be form
ed. The principle involved is this:-if left
without shortening, the vigor of the tree is
barely sufficient, in addition to a production
of fruit to force renewed growth of wood
from but few more than the terminal buds.
As consequence, the limbs are extended,
with but verv little thickeuifg up of the
top: but cut back the limbs one half, or
more, and three or four wood buds will
burst forth instead of only one.
1t is no new system of cuttinein that we
propose to introduce, bat to urge the impor
tance of greater attention to the methods
that have long been practiced by the most
experienced fruitgrowers in all countries,
to give symmetry Of form and produce fruit
fulness in the trees.
The peach seems to be almost the only
tree that receives this attention, and this is
probably owing to its generally eXuberant
Growth. in which the loss of portion of the
outer limbs are not as much missed as would
be the clipped branches of many other of
our favorte fruit or ornamental trees. 1t is
because so many dislike to see the tree mu-
tated, as they consider it, or checked in
vigorous upward growth that we see so
many long, spindling, unsightly trees, with
out limbs or leaves to cover their native bo-
dies, and swinging TO and fro, the sport of
every wind that blows. A tree to be beau
full. must be symmetrical. Not that we would
force every tree alike to assume a certain AZ
(,c Il 80, would h. hat
mean by symmetry; different varieties have
their peculiar forms, differing from one
another, and yet all may be beautiful and
symmetrical, or can be made so by proper
training. There are two seasons in Calitor-
MIA proper for cutting in fruit trees, whilst,
as general rule, with but few exceptions,
there is but one in the Atlantic States. This
is owing to the exceedingly vigorous and long
continued growth of trees during the pro-
tracted summer Cf our climate. Trees of all
descriptions in California seem TO have no
thing else to do bat grow" from March to
November, and most Of them make good
use of their time; for nowhere do fruit trees
make such astonishing growth upwards as
here. We say upwards, because this is ano
ther popularity of vegetable growth in Cali
lorna. AlUlCSl every NdlIcll VI II uIt tICS
seems inclined to push the terminal bud, to
the exclusion Of all lateral or side shoots
This, with their protracted season of growth
causes the numerous unsightly trees every
where seen in the grounds of the inexperi
enced cuItivator.
In the Atlantic States, cutting-in is gene
rally performed in early spring, at which
time the shoots of last year are cut back to
one-thrd or half their entire length; and
this is all they require for the season, except
in few cases of exceedingly vigorous growth
because the best they can do is no more than
the desired growth upward and onward
But here the case is different. Trees in the
nursery not unfrequently send their shoots
inward in a single season to the height OF
six or eight feet from the graft at the ground
and we have seen cherry trees, that last sum
mer, standing single and in open ground
made shoots of ten and twelve feet in height
without throwing out single lateral shoot
One of these cherry trees has been left to
take it's own course unchecked for the pre-
sent season, and the effect is already another
advance of the terminal bud, even now over
two feet in height, with but single lateral
that started out three feet from the top, il
we except short fruit spurs and leaves, that
have started out nearly its entire length.
The other trees on the first swelling of the
bud in February, were all cut back to four
or five feet, at the height at which it was de-
sired they should form heads. The effect
has been bursting forth of from four to
eight strong shoots, that seem to be vieing
with each other for supremacy, making a
beautiful, round, bushy top, with a centre
shoot leading the rest few inches.
And here is what we wish to inculcate:
the propriety and positive benefit of cutting
back trees Of vigorous growth twice dur
ing the season. First, on the approach OF
spring, and again, when the tree shall have
made half its seasons growth: and this must
be determined by studying the habits of the
tree, its thrift and effects of locality upon
IS growth; and which, for mot fruit trees