The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-01-16
When is the Best Time to Trim Fruit
Trees.

This subject was under discussion at
recent meeting of the Experimental
Farm Club OF Chester county, Pa,
from which we condense the following
from the Practical FARMER, believing
it will prove of interest to our readers
Milton f. 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 cul-
ture He had seen trees trimmed at all
seasons of the year. a prominent
orchardist said not to do it 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 off A wound will heal more
rapidly from the middle Of May to the
middle Of july Mineral matter is
what the tree depends upon fer vigor.
Fruit trees require more mineral matter
than forest trees because we exact more
from them. If wood ashes or potash
are put on the roots Of trees they will
do well. In the forests the leaves fall
to the ground and supply the trees with
mineral matter, but in orchards they
blow away Go to the forest and col
lcct 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, &c, to roots? Prof Peck said,
by digging down to the roots or digging
down far enough to prevent tie grass
obtaining any benefit from the ashes or
potash.
George Balderston said there We're
two general principles involved, over
bearing and barrenness. If the tree is
weakly cut off some branches, ami after
the fruit is set cut off some branches
If some trees which are growing head
long be trimmed and checked in their
wild career, the effect will be good. If
Won trim a tree before the sap is run
YOU make 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 III full
bloom only on one side and had reaped
q good crop of fruit. Other trees which
had been trimmed all over didn't do SO
well. Prof Peck said when vou trim
n tree the remaining branches get more
of the mineral matter absorbed by the
roots, which is always a constant
quantity. Didn't believe in too much
trimming, but did in feeding the trees
with mineral fertilizers-potash and
lime John l. Garter said the Muriate
of Potash could be obtained for ID
cents per pound. Marcellus S. Cook
said luXuriantly growing tree pro-
duccs little fruit, stop that, and fruit
the tree is exhausted Putting an elias
tic band around the tree or betting the
bark in the month Of June will make
the fruit come. He had done it in his
orchard in two instances; change the
circulation and YOU will get fruit, check
ing the returning sap develops Inc
embryo bud. If the tree is pruned
in June the wounds are healed more
readily Orchards should be pruned
when young and not when old.
The President said he bad tree that
was not hearing, and turning his hogs
into the orchard, they made the ground
about this tree place in which to sun
themselves, it having such fortunate
position The continual roofing and
manuring by the hogs, started the tree
to bearing grandly Two other trees
which had been skinned by the hogs,
redeemed their former barrenness by
bearing profuselv thereafter.