The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-02-21
aome and farm.
..,.-;.runing ofFruliTrees.

w;seIy in their ideas touching Il
Winter pruning of fruit trees al
shrubs; but practical men usually b
cis this work as soon as conveniei
saer the holidays. There is no use
borrowing trouble about the frost il
juring the exposed wood, where
branch bas beeE cut of, because,
yoa bsSs any fears on this score. ja
cover the wounds with little gur
shelIac,dissolyed alcohol, or with con
mon psint; grating wax viii ais
answer the purpose as well.
Bat never prune plsrt just for th
sake of pruning, or because somebod
has said that trees require prunin
annually. The size and form of tree
may be controlled at will by pruning
: and fruitfulness may be fastened 0
retarded by the same process. Wig
orous growing trees should be pre-
served with ease and judgment, tn
operator remembering that the NOR
wood that is cut away the more rapi'
viii be the growth the following sea
son; and if a tree is already maxim;
too much wood, No more should b
allowed than is actually necessary Il
bring that which remains ;nte propel
shape.
This principle ss our guide, We
prune stunted trees severely; or even
sickiy branches, on an otherwise
healthy tree, may often be restored
ta. health by the use ot-the praning
k1ife alone. Ii the trees are large
and branches so numerous as not to
permit the light to to reach the cen
ter of the Il ee, cut out portion, and
give all parts an equal chance for de
velopment and health. In all large,
old trees there must naturally occur
many exhausted branches; and in cut
ting these away we give the others an
opportunity to grow; and if few
fruit spurs are destroyed, those re-
naming will be strengthened, and the
fruit produced larger and OF better
quality. Most fruit cultiVators viii
own to weakness in leaving too much
bearing wood upon their trees, and
poor, small fruit is the result.
No better time can be selected for
pruning understandingly than in
Winter, for at this season one can
readily determine the character OF
each bud, spur or branch, and shorten,
remove entire. OF allow any portion to
remain intact, as TIE conditions may
indicate. Apple, pear and plum trees
may be pruned far more freely than
the cherry; for this last named tree
is rather impatient under the knife,
although it may often be pruned to
advantage. We all take far too much
delight in showing our fruit trees
loaded down with greater burden
than they can, in safety, carry through
to maturity, hence the necessity of
severe pruning to restore vigor to ex-
hausted specimens.
Next to fruit trees, grape vines are
allowed to overbear more than any
other of our small fruits, and the lar
too common great promises in the
early part of the season end in a Ia
mentable failure. Green, half ripened
grapes are usually more abundant IN
gardens and vineyards than those that !
are well matured and failure to use
the knife is very frequently the cause.
Gooseberries are very liable mildew,
upon old, neglected plants;
severe pruning by cutting out the old
wood. thinning and shortening the
young, is usually beneficial. But
with varieties that are subject to dis
ease, it is best to renew the stock
keeping none bat young
plants.
I9eSed and white currants of our
gardens require more pruning than
the majority of persons give them
and annual Trimmings of the shoots
will result in larger and better fruit
than if allowed to grow in thick, dense
clumps. as generally seen in farmers
gardens The black varieties do bet
ter, and bear larger fruits when grown
in a miniature tree form, and pruned
accordingly. People, as a rule, prune
off the outside of such plants, instead
of cutting out the inside, just as some
will begin at the base of a tree and
prune upward instead ofbeginning at
the top and prune downward.
Rsspberries, blackberries and other
similar fruitsare improved by pruning,
and the operation may be described
in the two words, shortening and
thinning.
If men would only think more while
they work aud notice the effects of
certain operations, the benefits to be
derived from judicious prun ing, as
well as when TO avoid errors, would
>soon be learned.
A writer in the Popular Science