Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-08-13
Experience in the Management of Fruit
Trees,

Ihe ola system OF pruning was radl
cally Ineffective, but | had not made
up my mind fully as to the best time
l know OF several old orchards that
ought to bear hundreds of bushels OF
fruit annually, that do not usually
produce 100. And | attribute the fail
ure mainly to the fact that they have
always been pruned in the spring.
There is one Tan in this vicinity
who has had about as good success
as any, who prunes in February, at o
certain time in the moon. Now
don't suppose the moon has much to
do With his success; but the trees be-
ing pruned so early the wound has
time to get hard and dry before the
sap begins to flow, aud consequently
heal over during the next summer,
or if they DO not heal, the wood be-
comes hard and dry, thereby pre-
venting a decay. The same result
follows from late fall pruning, with
the additional advantage in old trees
that the sap flows into the remaining
branches giving them extra vigor for
the next seasons growth But with
young, vigorous growing trees this
would be an injury rather than bene-
hit, causing many young shoots to
spring up where they are not wants
ed.
| hope you have hit on the right
theory, which will produce new era
in fruit culture in Wisconsin. But
such winter as 1856 will try new
theories and prove whether their au-
thors are right in trying Eureka"
There are some diseases to which
apple trees are subject even when
very young which | would be glad to
understand, and have q remedy point
ed out, especially what is called Black
Heart. One man in this vicinity who
has been dabbling in the tree bust
ness Though he never produces any,
calls it hereditary disease, but gives
no reason for his theory. | have
thought that it was the result of in
judicious pruning while trees were
very young. Give rs your views on
this particular point.
| PLATfrVILLE, Augusts, oT ). IT, PATTERSON.
REMARKs:-Bldck Heart, so called,
is caused by impure circulation. The
cause ofimpure circulation may be
pruning out of season, accidental
wound in winter or early spring, or
a natural defect in the tree, such as
NAL formed crotch or the tree natu-
rally weak and puny-perhaps of a
kind which cannot stand our soil and
climate.
Trees are never hurt by pruning or
accidental injury during the months
Of June, July and August, and hardly
ever in May Farmers will tell you
that barking limb by horse or pillow
those months does not seem to injure
trees or give them Black Heart. :
Well, then, trees may be safely prun-
cd during such months. But, so tar
as our experimenting has gone and
the lights arising therefrom, July is
the very best month for pruning APP
pie trees. Wounds made during that
month retain healthy color and cir
culation, Black Heart never follows
therefrom, and healing over begins
at once and certainly goes on during
growing stages till fully completed.
By correcting all NAL formed crotch
es and doing pruning the right time,
your trees will very soon become so
healthy, thrifty and orderly IN con-
duct as to do we'll right along and re.
quire little or no attention. BY thus
keeping a tree in a healthy condition
the discoloring about the heart very
soon disappears, and the entire wood
of body and limb takes right, health-
full color. Disease in the wood and
circulation is thrown off through the
bark, Just as all diseases of animals
caused by impure circulation passes
from the body to the skin, thence off.
And inst so soon as the circulation of
trees is no longer fed with disease
from bad crotches and sour prunings,
it will change toward a purer coDdi,
ton, and in q year or so be free from
disease. All this we have dcmonstra>
ted by this means and that, and our
trees offer the proof that what wo at
firm is true.
Trees thus kept in right condition
do not continue growing so late in the
fall season a. to not ripen their wood
for winter, consequently, they are
generally about ready for winter
Just as healthy, good working we'll
balanced men are always prepared
for winter, whilst sickly, lazy men
are never ready for winter or any
other condition. Keep tree well
trimmed and in health, and it will ri
pen its wood, be ready for winter
blossom and bear fruit, and live e
Il good old age-especially in Wis
consin. We admit there are kinds
of orchard trees, just rs there are
families of men and animals, so poor>
~ adapted for our part of country
which is high, dry, and cold in win
ter and hot in summer, that they fail
to stand it. Such require q lower
damper, perhaps warmer climate
and perhaps soil differing from ours
But there are kinds of apple trees fol
which this part of country is perfect
ly adapted. just as there are kinds OF
men and animals. Have you seen q
Fameuse, Red Astrachan, Duchess OF
Oldenburg or New York Pippin, OF
any age, or in any soil or position,
that is failure? No. Well then,
tn csc and other well known kinds OF
trees do we'll
sa-All political distinctions be-