Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-01-20
On Pruning Apple and Peach Trees.

The Importance of giving more atten-
ton to the pruning of orchard trees, has
been forcibly impressed on the minds of
the majority Of our fruit growers, by the
abundant crops of apples and peaches in
this section the past season. Those who
had any part in the gathering and mark
eting the fruit, could not fail to notice the
superiority of the product Of trees that had
been we'll pruned and cared for, as COM
pared With the thick-topped and neglect
ed trees, which compose the greater part
of the orchards in most parts of the coun-
try. Then, too, the amount of labor and
of wear and tear of clothing and temper
in picking the fruit. is in much the same
proportion.
It can be easily understood. therefore,
that two objects are to be had in view in
the operation of pruning--Grst the i'm
provement of the fruit by the free admis,
sion of light and air to all the foliage. and
second to the improvement Of the trees SO
as to facilitate the work Of gathering the
fruit Fortunately both these objects are
generally gained by the same operation.
Those who have had experience in gath
ering orchard fruits, should thereby be
we'll qualified to do the pruning and now.
while the recollections are fresh upon the
mind. is q good time to set about the
work, for it can be done advantageously
at any time while the leaves are off the
trees, and many farmers have more time
for such work in the early part Of winter
than towards spring.
Pruning Of Peach Trees is. if possible.
more important than Of apples, and is quite
as badly neglected. The peach fruit is
borne only on the shoots of the previous
seasons growth, and unless the produc-
ton of young shoots is secured by the
healthy growth Of the tree, good fruit can
not be expected. In order to secure a
more plentiful growth Of young wood, il
lis advisable to cut off occasionally q large
portion Of the tops Of peach trees Of bear
ing age, especially when their growth
iseems to be checked. and after bearing .
full crop Of fruit. This is called ''head-
ling them off," and consists of cutting o6
all the limbs or branches at from one
third to one-half of the length. thus re-
moving one-half or more of the tops
This will cause them to throw out new
shoots and form new heads. with better
foliage aud finer fruit-especially if in the
spring dressing of ashes or manure is
applied to the land, and fair culture be-
slowed.
Pruning of peach trees is usually de-
ferred until spring, so as to give oppor-
tunity to observe the effect of the winter
upon the fruit buds, as severer pruning is
given when there is little or no prospect
of fruit
This heading off the tops Of peach trees,
where at all numerous, has heretofore
been pretty laborious and tedious opera
tion. performed only with the saw and
knife, or with the aid of ordinary shears.
But style Of powerful shears has been
invented the past year called the Giant
Pruning Shears. manufactured by Yea
man and Chapman of Clyde, Ohio, which
l have tried in my orchard, and am con-
vinced it will effect saving of more than
half the time and labor Of pruning. 1t
will remove, at single cut. limbs of
nearly two inches in diameter and leave a
much smoother surface than the saw
Cor. Ohio Farmer.