Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-05-01
farm, Garaen \ 9ouselold.
PkUNlNG


So much has been written on this subject
That many think that nothing now remains to
DO said, but the amateur orchardist finds most
Of II too scientific for a novice. Having. per
haps, spent most ofhis life behind the coun-
ter, or at the desk, he has through good luck
and careful attention to business and at length
arrived at the long wished for goal Of his am
bitiou, and become the happy possessor of a
delightful place in the country" After due
course Of study and attendance on hortieul-
tural and agricultural meetings, and having
proper time and manner Of pruning, be feels
competent to take charge Of his own trees,
and train them in the way they should grow
Armed with knife and saw, he approaches one
of his trees with the intention Of eurtailing Its
luxuriance, and of fruit grown under his own
eye and hand, which through years Of toll in
- tbeaccumulation ofmoney his fancy had pic
;ured in all their peautifnl colors and luscious
sweetness. As he approaches the tree, his
con6deueein histhorongh comprehension ofthe
matter begins to waver; be looks first at one
limb and then another-wounders if this or
that branch IS the one which the books have
described as the proper one to cut. After
pondering and considering til he finds
that be really kuows nothing about it he
comes to the conclusion that the
only way to become competent to take
charge Of his own fruit is to make begin
ing,
Having thus come to the determination to
depend upon himself, and exercise his own
Judgment, he is in fair way to learn to trim
trees. Aud nov he will do well to make up
ish mind to one thing, and that is, never 10
cut off limb without having first settled in
his mind what he cuts it off for. If he thinks
of cutting of branch, first let him answer
satisfactorily to himself, what do propose to
accomplish by removing this part of the tree?
Sometimes when he thinks that the removal
Of a branch viii improve the general shape Of
the tree, let him bend the branch little out
Gifts natural place, so asto show how the tree
would look If this limb we're cut off, and the
result is not satisfactory, don't cut it. There
is a tendency with amateurs TO trim too much.
Beware ofthis overriding the matter. There
was time when excessive pruning was very
fashionable, even among professional orchar
dists, but they have learned better The
current Of opinion is settipg SO strongly the
other way now, that some are advocating no
pruning at all. Probably this will be found
as much the other extreme, and in due time
We may expect the true mode to be settled
upon, Peach trees have probably suffered
more than apple trees from over trimming.
The best way for the beginner to exercise
his skill and taste is to confne himself almost
entirely to reducing the general outline Of his
tree to the proper shape. Before beginning,
he win do veil to take a view of his tree, and
decide how far it must be cut back to ensure
good, round top, and preserve the proper
balance Beginning at the most convenient
point, and going round it with an eye to pro
portion and uniformity, he win come back to
the place of beginning, a. have the salts
faction of not only seeing we'll shaped top,
but with very little care afterwards it may
be kept so.-[St, Louis Journal Of Aqriept
t5ue.