Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-30

NAty peANo utn unoss
II Is often tho boast Of good orchardsts,
as you inquire the secret Of their well.train.
cd trees, that nearly all their pruning has
been done with the knife. This implies two
things, first, that they began their pruning
with the FIRST years Of their trees, aud, Sec
ond, that they worked from the first with
definite knowledge Of the manner in which
each subject would naturally proportion its
branches, and Of the general contour IL would
ultimately assume. Such knowledge can
only be gained by study aud close Obsorva-
ton. The novice will very likely err on the
one hand by permitting at first too many
branches TO start frop near the trunk, thus
rendering necessary In q few years the use
Of the saw, or he will on the other hand, If
he Is over-zealous TO prune, or DESTROYS to be
"known by his chips" leave his victim look
ing gawkey and half naked.
Let US begin with = maiden tree. We
find its strong central shoot abundantly pro-
vided with large buds, arranged spirally
around the stem, the distance from ono bud
TO tho next being two-6fths of the circum-
ference, so that Eve consecutive buds form a
complete cycle. If then, beside the termi-
nal bud, or bud to take its place when IL
is desired TO shorten the stem, we count five
successive buds below it, and rub of, as they
expand, all others, lin case II be thought
necessary in order to form. stocky
trunk that the lower buds should push,
their shoots ought 10 be pinched AFTER
they have made a few inches, 80 they will
not rob those chosen to form branches,) we
shall thus have, besides central leader to
continue tho top upward 10 a natural man.
ner, Eve branches Of uniform strength, d.
verging from each other at equal angles and
making the complete circuit Of the tree. As
these side branches push outward they sepa-
rate from each other more and more in the
widening circle, and may be permitted to
branch so as to occupy the more open spaces
to which they have attaned. Should any
branch become stronger than its fellows, so
as to appropriate to itself an undue share Of
the common stock Of food, it should be
weakened by summer pinching The central
shoot, or leader, after it has risen high
enough above the first cycle Of branches
may be assisted to form another higher rank
and so on TO mature size. The pyramidal
or more properly speaking the conical, foru
which results from such training should be
secured whenever the habits of the variety
will admitof II, becauseit allows Of the ex'
posture to the influence Of light, air, dew
ETC., Of the greatest possible amount Of foil
age and fruit Compared with the Aattened
form Of the very wide-spreading tree, il has
much the proportion of the area Of the sides
Of cone to the area Of its base. Mos
pears and some cherries quite naturally as
sumo this conical form, but apples and plums
can seldom be elevated in the center above
the form of depressed cone
Pruning for Increased vIgOr.
When young tree few years planteC
has by reason Of scanty nutrition, too dry
soil, or from some other cause, become con
6rmed in stunted condition, each year fail
ing to make satisfactory growth, it MAJ
seem absurd to recommend the cutting away
Of good part Of the tops, with SO much diff
6culty acquired, as a means Of bringing il in
to condition Of greater vigor. While sucl
tree has been making feeble growth, it
top has become thickly set with multitude
of short and slender twigs, crowded with di
minutive buds. Even the terminal shoots
having failed TO receive the nourishment req
uisitc for their usual development, are il
this case. Now, il it is attempted by in
creased fertilization and cultivation Of tn
soil alone TO bring such a tree into stronge
growth, the thin and puny condition Of tn
foliage, opening out OF such weak buds, vii
for some time act as clog on the action o
the roots. But carefully trim out the great
er part Of these full twigs, leaving only
few Of the strongest end shoots, and then en-
rich and till the soil. The assimilated foo
started in the wood of the tree, being force
BY the sap into the few remaining buds, vii
stimulate them into strong growth thi
will react favorably upon the roots an
thus with the leaf system aud the root sys
TEN melting each other on in n healthy &C
ton, the tree will at once be brought into
condition Of satisfactory vigor. Diminishing
the number of buds most directly and eifeC
tually promotes the thrift Of those left to e1
/ pand.
Pruning for Fruit.
That state Of the tree in which, it is chief
engaged in the rapid formation Of wood
incompatible with that in which its force
are for the most part employed in the pro
duction of fruit. Both cannot occur durin
the same period in the life of the tree. Tn
one is the business Of its youth the other
the peculiar work Of its more mature age
In general it is not safe, if we have regart
for the welfare OF the tree, to interfere wit
its natural course. Let it grow while
will, and it will bear all the better after
is well prepared to do 50. Still there ma
be special circumstances, which can justif
the orchardist's exerting control over TIL
matter. He may be willing to sacrifice somt
thing Of the vigor and long life of his tree
in order to supply present demands for fruit
or, again, his trees may too long remain vi
fruitful from excessive nutrition. Summt
pruning, the cutting back of the new. shoot
which tends to weaken the tree and bring
into state OF slower growth, favorable I
fruit-bearing. better, summer pinchiul
the nipping off of the tips ofside shoots an
spurs, while the sap is allowed to expend j
: force in the terminal shoot, which induce
the formation of fruit-buds,-are the meal
! at his command to attain this result
But in ordinary iruit-groWing the trad
tional practice Of " shortening IN, as it
technically called, the young shoots, som'
times in winter, sometimes in summer, ough
to be abandoned. 1t has probably wrougt
little but mischief. When Natures aim
the same as our own, as happens in this ma
ter Of fruit production, il is extremely doub
: full whether we are able to suggest to her
better method for accomplishing her obje
than that which she herself pursues. III
cutting away Of so much young wood is n,
only waste; but in the operation the orcl
! ardist is liable to Funinto excuses, which wi
,, defeat his very purpose. II he shortens
! and pinehes too closely in summer, the hea
of the tree will become crowded with feeb
: growths, which must fail to yield the be
specimens of fruit. lie will find il necessal
, to resume in winter his pruning in order
thin out these growths, which have result'