The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-24
Pruning Apple Orchards.

THOSE fond of abstract discussions are
writing out their views for the newspa
pers in regard to pruning orchard trees
The most contradictory opinions are ad.
vanced, not only as to the proper manner
of pruning, but as to whether trees
should be pruned at all. 1t is quite Ger
tain that any one who has had long ex.
perience in the management of orchard
trees knows that he could no mere dc
without the pruning knife; nay, even the
saw and The Ratchet, than he could eat
his dinner without knife and fork. 1t
could be done, of course. AS the chill
dren say, fingers were made before forks
and so nature gave us fruit trees long be.
fore we found out aught about culture
One can get along without ever cutting
an orchard tree. There are some that
can be named that never had knife on
them; but it is just as true that the best
fruit and best trees generally will be
where the pruning implements are regu-
larly and judiciously used. One can, of
course, take his ladder and Ratchet and
saw, and go into his orchard and cut
away, to the great injury of the tree; but
this is not the judicious trimming that
sensible people recommend, but sense
less practice-worse than letting them
alone. If there is to be choice between
a murderous practice like this and prune
not at all, as advocated by some, better
by all means join the anti pruning party
There are, again, some who say
if trees are properly seen to
when young, no pruning is re-
quired in after life This is not in &C.
cord with experience. No matter how
well cared for there is always something
to be done as the trees grow. But so far
as this argument is concerned it does
not amount to much, as not one tree in a
thousand in our average orchards get any
special treatment when young; so that
the plea on the ground of being early in
clined holds good too seldom to weigh
much in general rules for practice.
AT this season of the year, then, it will
be well to see that good pruning saw
has it's teeth well sharpened and set a
handy little Ratchet ground, and the
pruning knife honed up to a keen and
yet strong edge. Whenever an oppor-
tunity occurs through the winter, GO
through the orchard and see what IS to
be done. One thing to be seen to is that
every leading branch has full room to
develop all its branchlets perfectly. If
two of these go along together there
will be struggle for life between them,
in which both will lose something. Cut
one away. If this has not been going on
for more than a year or so, the knife will
do all that is required, but if the strug-
gle is Of many years standing saw away
at the worst. one without hesitation.
Such saving ought to be made close to
the main trunk, and the exposed part
painted so as to prevent decay until the
new bark grows over it, Then again
large branches will often in time get
decrepid through overbearing. The
growth will, perhaps, not be more than
an inch or two, and the fruit small and
sickly. In such cases there will often
be tolerably vigorous branches down
toward the main branch or trunk. In
such cases cut away the weakened por-
tons, leaving the healthier ones to come
on and take their places. Sometimes in
trees which have heen bearing for some
years there will be general decline in
vigor of the whole tree. In this case
cut away most Of the bearing branches
all over the head, leaving some of the
younger sprouts to come on and form
head. This usually brings about great
revival, chiefly through the rest from
bearing which the tree receives. Some
people think they renovate old trees by
cutting back and regrafting with other
kinds. But it is the rest, not the re-
grating, and mere cutting back does
ust the same thing.
Where not much Of this severe work is |
necessary, that is, where all the main
branches are about where they ought to |
De. and nowhere else, there will still be
numerous young sprouts coming out at
'arious places through the head, up in
trough the interior Of the tree. These
re competitors with the main or fruit
'earing branches and should be ruth
essly cut away.
These are but general hints, to be sure.
)De's judgment must be called in as to
ow little or how much Is to be done;
ut it will be seen from what has been
aid that the apple orchard will find en-
loyment for many leisure day during
he winter season.-Masyland Farmer.