The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-10-29
When is the Best Time to Trim
Fruit Trees.

This subject was under discussion
at recent meeting of the experiment
tai farm club, of Chester county, Pa,
from which we condense the follow
ing from the Practical Farmer. bcliev-
ing it will prove of interest to our
readers:
Milton T.. Conrad said the best time
TO trim was when the wounds would
heal quickest and when the trees were
growing most rapidly, about the sixth
or seventh month.
Prof. Peck said when to trim was
not an important question in orchard
culture. He had seen trees trimmed
at all seasons Of the year. a promi-
nemt orchardist said not TO do il when
sap is flowing and the buds swelling.
1t does not make much difference as to
the time Of the year only provided the
tree is making wood rapidly and you
don't cut large limbs. In olden times
old limbs were cut of. A wound will
heal more rapidly from the middle of
May TO the middle of July. Mineral
matter is what the tree depends upon
for vigor. Fruit trees require more
mineral matter than forest trees be-
cause we extract more from them. If
wood ashes or potash is put on the
roots of the trees they will do we'll
ground and supply the trees with min
eral matter, but in orchards they blow
away. &c to the forest and collect
leaves and rotten wood and put about
the trees in your orchards. When
wood ashes are not to be obtained get
potash or lime, especially potash.
Mr.. Conrad asked how to supply
ashes. etc, TO roots? Prof Peck said
by digging down to the roots or dig
gine down far enough to prevent the
grass obtaining any benefit from the
ashes or potash.
George Bladcrson said there were
two general principles involved. over
bearing and barrcnncss. If the tree
is weakly cut of some branches. and
after the fruit is set cut off some
branches II some trees which are
growing head long be trimmed and
checked in their wild career, the effect
will be good. If you trim a tree be-
fore the sap is run you make a sucker,
but if you wait until the sap has run
out its course YOU have no suckers.
Abner Garrett said he had cut apple
trees when in full bloom only on one
side and hail reaped a good crop of
fruit. Other trees which had been
trimmed all over didn't do so well.
Prof Peck said when YOU trim a tree
The remaining branches get more OF
the mineral matter absorbed by the
roots. which is always constant
quantity. Didn't believe in too much
trimming but did in feeding the trees
with mineral fcrtilizers-potash and
lime. John Carter said the muriate
of potash could be obtained for two
aud half cents per pound. Marcel
hut 5. Cook said a luxuriantly growing
tree produces little fruit. stop that.
and fruit viii come aud continue COM
ing until the tree is exhausted. Put
ting an elastic band around the tree or
betting the bark in the month of June
will make The fruit come. He had
done il in his orchard in two instances;
change the circulation and YOU will
get fruit. checking the returning sap
develops The embryo bud. If the tree
is pruncd in June the wounds are
healed more readily. Orchards should
be pruned when young and not when
old.
The president said he had tree that
was not bearing, and turning his hogs
into the orchard, they made the
ground about this tree place in
which to sun themselves. il having
such fortunate position. The con-
tinual roofing and manuring 10y the
hogs started the tree 10 bearing grand
~. Two other trees which had been
skinned by the hogs, redeemed their
former ba-rcnncss by bearing profuse-
" thereafter.