The Republican journal., 1869-07-08
pRUNlNG-.wHY. HOW AND WHEN.

IN various articles we have tried TO show the best
,fpl, Of trees fruit and ornamental. TO cultivate:
m, oi The condition, OF their growth; the proper
.i,,- ot setting them, g.. Right pruning is the
u.Nt Stage in the business.
Why PRIME: This is very important que>-
an. for no tree limb, large small, should any
.,rfr be- taken Oft without giving good reason for
r than q surgeon should human limb without
.,,od reason. for ii, and for want of these reasons
many valuable limb of both kinds has been ruth
,,,y chopped of and lost to the world. And most
The Tree doctors that we might Just as Well
a. blind men cou.>ely cutting with meat axe
erhj and )en any limit they happen to strike first.
some three or four simple reasons form the true
llidr 10 pruning.
fhc first is to get tho lower limbs al proper
urighf from the ground. Of the multitudeS OF
.,oll" whose opinions We have learned on this
voint nearly All, even people OF much literary and
-irntiHc attainmont>. believe that The limbs OF Il
rrc rise higher and higher every year, with the
rpN III a lhr While the fact is they never rise
particle. A limh 1oot from the ground TO day
will b' III the same height next year and next cen
Iury. frees grow in hight by the expansion of the
bud st the end Of the branches. II is As if each
A ir you built one house the top of another; the
llr would ascend. but each house would be in hight
,,cl where \uu first pit H. So the growth OF any
rral is, in fact, 80 man, new trees Springing from
ttN,rN wear Il, there are terminal buds. If, with
last year, seeding. there is hut 2 single bud, that
bad ends up one tree. which end, in the fall
with perhaps len branches and buds; these, next
wear, make ten new and perfect trees and SO on
the tre5 bearing upon its shoulders As many new
treos every wear a. il ha> terminal hud>-trns. hun
.trrl- mau, thousands in large trees,
And not iulN is th, an interesting fact, worthy Of
n,,l,rnnr,. hut i, of the greatest uIilt. IN prun-
ne For Nou will overNwhcre see line shade trees,
mi whole orchards ruined by the mistake that the
4nlh- are going 10 rise up OF themselves sufficient
Is high The result of which is that either the
,lanche> must be low in the way and beating to
.t attn on the ground, Of be taken OFF when so large
T. to ruin The trees by 50 large wounds The prop
81 wuv therefore i, 10 estimate what is the proper
hiqht for the first branches in the particular tree.
Tol. tail growing shade trees. like the cm maple,
linden. &C. Ten or twelve feet is about right and
tor standard apple, pear, plum trees &c, four or
i've. Dwarf fruit trees and the evergreenS had bet
.,- l. left 10 grow naturally without removing any
Vi the lower limbs. YET in getting the branches to
Tue proper hight, the best way is not to do it all at
nee bnt little by little, each year; for many of the
-ple leaves are necessary to give growth and yigor
The tree. If the trees are small. rub of one year
part of the leaves as they appear on the trunk;
lh next Year few more, and so on till you get high
,nough never allowing any branch to get too large
Gor removal by Il pcn-knfe. For large trees that
lave been neglected, it may aS we'll be done all at
once in thi, way With Il sharp. finish saw begin
rom below. close 10 the trnnk. snd saw upward
and around the sides -some way; then finish from
bove downwar'l>. This may seem needless d.
lerlon. but is very essential one; for in saving
I'll large limb from above DOWN. ards through
it, Whole branch, As j. usually DONE the weight
ui lh branch will spit oh large portion of bark
.i,j vocal il falls; which accident will be avoid
.i NN the first upward saving. Almost any where
fuG ma many fine trees about ruined by these
dyh rfnt- II they could Spcak-and they do to
very sensitive mnd-you would hear all such
4langlcd trees -ay-"0. Your hungling has about
l.lllrd me- The limb being removed, smooth the
Humd with some sharp, cutting tool, and cover il
Nilh -oh poultice of clay. or with something 10
ltutrct il from the weather, a grating wax. gum
-hclac dissolved in alcohol paint. &c. To see these
Ytl> Of Providence, We frequently do not only
4l lnangled and torn in the pruning but the ragged
stamps All naked and exposed to storm and burn
my suns hine, is a sad sight indeed. shameful both
do fhe tree and it, Giyer
\ second reason for pruning is to remove injured,
t,~eused and dead limbs. This should be done, and
'Af wounds treated, As just described.
third reason is TO Keep open head. Nigor-
,u- trees ictl TO themselves, most of them, will
-lnot out their branches in all directions; so that
-dch trees become Il mass Of tangled limbs, chatting
ule another TO DEATH keeping out the sunshine, 80
urtessary 10 the growth and rpening of the fruit,
aud making Il difficult for TO get into the tree
luI, il i oflen necessary 10 do. The proper WAY
j., hon the tree is small, TO eut out 18th pen.
huff, also, The branches that look as if they would
each other in their future growth, and all those
aim tow ards the centre of the top. spaling those
Thai point upM ards and outWarl, In this way YOU
4vl u line open head, and beautiful flowing top
aud remember this, that limbs far enough upar
us>-9ay Nv o incheS-will meet in very few Years
because bot h are growing towards each other, lik,
t.yo -hila carriages coming from opposite dircc
rotl~ that in Young trees, branch crossing the
uloh OF another nearer than four inches, ought IL
h taken of during this period. If trees, during
'heir infancy and youth, have been neglected, and
have these tangled and chating tops, proceed in the
sam" way, cutting out the smallest branches that
.nate and point the wrong way, using the same care
aud dressing already described for large limbs
to this may be added, on this point, that when q
lrrr is shooting up too tail and slender, cutting of
lie leading upright branches, will cause ii to throw
1ut side branches, and To become more bushy AM,
>lorky. Heading ill., this i, called.
\ fourth reason is 10 induce fruitfulness. Bar
lrnnc4s in fruit trees usually arises from two and
opposite causes; want of food and too much Of il
here >euni nouris hment, in poor soils, is sup
piled neither wood nor fruit buds can Well grow
aud failure Of fruit is The result while oNer-ed tree,
viii run 10 wood, al the expense OF fruit buds, anC
failure Of fruit also. For the first cause
i Misunderstanding the top 10 put the Tree
l0od INTO fewer branches, just as you reduce the
-tOck in 4cant fodder times, is a proper treatment
And then lhi, should be done moderately, as eXces
ave pruning will cause this food TO eXpend itself in
troublesome sprouts and suckers. Pruning out only
Lad branches before directed and supplying food
At the roots is the true remedy. In the other case
where nourishment produces wood and not fruit
root-prunin9 induces hearing, by cutting off por
uUn Of the tree root. This is done by digging (:
trench foot and half deep and fool wide arounG
the tree three four feet from for standard trees
aud less distance for dwarfs, according to theil
-iHe; III" trench to be filed with poorer soil
Young frees, however, require large growth o
wood: 80 that il this forms ut the expense of frut
there is gain and not loss in the end Root-prunins