Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-02-18
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY Is, 1859
Renova,ing Old Apple Orchards.


iruit i. for tho most part unsaleahle My
gardener says that this has been caused by
neglect Of pruning scientifically. Il this
.o2 What is meant by pruning scientific
ally? am rather afraid Of so great a
word from the mouth Of man who, al.
though worthy young fellow. seems to ne
90 have nothing scientific abou, him. And
besides. | remember being told when in
Normandy, that although the fruit trees in
that Apple country, when pruned upon scl-
ent6c principles, were beautiful specimens
Of art, yet that they had tho raul. Of bear.
,ng very little fruit"
We fear that our Suffolk friend will End
little favor in tho eyes Of those gardeners
who believe that all manner Of virtue re-
sides in pruning knife and narrow saw.
and whose greatest pride !. to cut their
trees into wonderfully regular forms. And
Yet be is Justified In hl. arprchensions iur
there can be no doubt that more harm i
done by oycrrrunius, which Is too often
meant by scientific " pruning. than can
ari,, from leaving trees to the undsturhcd
operation Of natural processes. In the lat
ter case, indeed, fruit may bc small aud
bad hut in the former IL is as likely to be
altogether absent, while the health Of ircys
i, irreiucyably ruined.
There is IL, branch Of gardening in which
experienced or hnciful persons do more
harm than in pruning They seem to for.
~, tia, fruit trees arc grown Tor the sake
of their fruit and no, as objects ol dceora.
ton, and that three ends, and three only,
are - be gained by the operation tha; is
to siy. Increase OF quantity, improvement
Of quality, and better ripsnins. Nothing
bat skilllul pruning will elect these purpo-
49,. un.kilIiul. IN which is t. be included
unnecessary pruning, has directly oppo.
s:e tendency. In short. the golden rule
ia this case Is not 70 pruuc at all IL It can
b, avoided. Pruning, however, is unayoid.
able bot 4, should be had recourse 10 as
LITTLE a, possible. ~ To oyerprunins. It i,
rc repeat, far worse than no pruning at all.
one thing d. certain, that the more apple
trees are pruncd the less they bear md
the same may be said Of pear trees.
The author Of one of our be-, practical
work-, having described how an apple tree
should be- managed Tor the Gr,i three or
four yelr,. remarks, latter this nothing
more will be necessary than to look them
(,hc trccs) over from time 20 time, cutting
oui carefully any supcrabundan: branches
that may appear, particularly those which
have tendency TO inJurc the rroper figure
OF the head. or are likely to become stronger
than the rc't these latter. if suffered to re.
main, will injure any description OF trcc,
whether IL bc a standard. an c.pilier. or
whether it be trained ncllrs, Wall" Thi'
i. tho bsst advice that can DO given 10 these
who have the managemcn, Of apple trees in
an orchard. IL is like the worthy SIR.
Glasses instructions. % " let them alone. D."
But our Suffolk correspondents trees are in
state Of ruin. They seem to b" like the
Dcyonshrc trees. which Mr. Bel6el dcs.
erihas " with heads tangled and matted to-
e,ther - as to set both sun and AFR at def.
anrc; live wood struggling for existence
among,, the dc..d, and all hoary with moss
and premature old age
/ With such trees the pruning knife and
saw must be used unsplrinsly aud If that
is what our SuiTllk correspondents garden.
er means by scientifically" We agree
with him. Not ,ha, there j. much science
in the operation. Tho first thing TO do is
to cut down to the quick every dead
branch, limb or spur; they can do no good,
aud are mischiovous ON account of tae in.
terruplion they oder to sun aud air, which
are as necessary To the tree ~ % the CUR.
dener. Until that ha, been done lave wood
should remain untouched. ScoHdiy. as
soon as the dead wood is gone, and the gar.
dener can scc diiincfiy what he has 10 work
upon, he should prune out every shoot that
whips ur crosses or ruhs against another. -
as to leave plenty OF room between the
shoots; foot is not too much. In doing
this the weakest shoots should be removed.
Thirdiy. all the thinning having been done,
the end of each branch should be stopped,
by removing more or less Of IL, according to
its strength. F0urihiy. after the stopping,
all loose bark and moss should be scraped
oil the branches and main stem, with the
blade Of an old hoe or some such blunt
edge, and the scrapinss should 30 burnt.
la this way alone can insects with their
eggs be destroyed with certainty. Such
srrapings can do no harm /; aud in addition
10 the removal Of insects il enables the tree
to breathe more freely, u very important
matter. for the living bark is rs much a
portion OF an apple trees lungs as the
leaves are. This done, skill can - no fur.
ther. aud il is only necessary afterwards to
leave the tree to its vital powers watching,
however, how the new shoots grow, and
cutting out from time to time all such as
in any way whip. chale, or cross each 9th.
er.
Ia these remarks the state OF the coil is
not noticed. IL, however, there is any
doub, about its being thoroughly drained,
that also must be carefully looked to, for
40 apple trees can retain their health in
waterlogged ground. Neither can they
prosper when soil is exhausted Of all its nu-