The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-06-01
agricultural department..
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
The Time to Prune.

Farmer says that March and April are
the two poorest months to Trim apple
trees, and we presume this rule may be
true, If confin. ID in its application to
Massachusetts and the country south of
it. But In Northern Vermont March
Is the very best time to prune, and this
applies, as regards the first half of the
month, even to the central and
southern parts of the state.
Trees should be pruned while they
are at rest, and not while they are
growing. The only exception to this
rule Ia when we wish to prune an
over-thrifty tree to throw 1t into bear
ing. The effect of pruning to any ex-
tent during the growing season Is to
arrest the growth. This is not desirable
except In the exceptional case of a tree
set In such rich soil that II runs to
wood and forms no fruit buds. Even
then, 1t is perhaps better to let the tree
have its own way since, though 1t Will
be long coming into bearing 1t Will
generally repay the waiting, when its
youthful vigor has had vent, by
enormous crops of fruit.
Mr.. G. G. Pringle, of Charlotte, in
his carefully written essay upon the
Principles of Pruning" published In
the last report of the Vermont Board
of Agriculture, says, In reference to
this question
$50 we will say that the time to
prune in any amount Is while the tree
remains at rest. Amy reasonable
amount of pruning performed at this
time will give the tree no shock, but,
on the contrary, may give its growth a
new impulse, because the whole supply
of n~ourishment stored in the root and
trunk will flow into the remaining
branches. Pruning in late autumn,
after the fall of the leaf, Is often
advised, but in our extreme climate it
cannot be pursued with safety, except
upon the hardest varieties, since fresh
wounds render a tree more susceptible
to cold. The dry and intensely cold
atmosphere which here prevails during
so much of our winter, constantly
sucks moisture from the wound, aus
ing the wood TO dry to some depth
within and enlarging the wound by
killing the ring of bark and young
wood Immediately surrounding 1t.
Even In winter q circulation Is main
tanned In the tree, and these drying
wounds'tend to interrupt this circula-
ton, often In the case of small trees
and the lesser branches, causing the
death Of all the wood above them. For
this reason we delay our pruning until
the colfo winter is over, or till about
the middle of March. After this date
it will be necessary to forward the work
with dispatch, because, if continued
until the sap ia in full flow and the
buds BEGIN to swell, serious bleeding OF
the wound may ensue, resulting in
waste Of sap and often in incurable
canker.- The latter manlfests itself In
a sour flow, continued through the
season, discoloring the bark upon
which 1t oozes, inviting insects and
fungus, and ending in certain decay"
In reference to this ~"bleeding," or
''sour flow" which sometimes follows
spring pruning, a very interesting
discussion sprang up, succeeding the
reading'or MI. frlngle's essay al North
Hero, I'm which a number of ex-
perienced fruit growers engaged. Mr..
Robert J. White, of Shelburn, ali ex-
Iensive -orchardlst and very careful
observer, said that, in his opinion. a
healthy apple tree never ''bleeds, " no
matter when it may be pruned. He
thought this flow of liquid which so
often comes from a cut, u crack, or 3
crack, OF a broken limb, and runs down
upon the bark, blackening and canker-
ing it, is not the true sap Of the tree,
but comes from the heart wood, and
indicates disease there. He believed
that every tree showing this disposition
to "bleed' would be found diseased at
the heart. Mr.. Benjamin Macomber,
of Grand Isle. one of the oldest and
most experienced fruit growers on the
Islands, and a very thoughtful and
careful observer, agreed with Mr..
White, that no apple tree with a sound
heart would bleed when pruned, nc
matter at what season the operation
was performed. Mr.. o c. Wait, Of
llnnrnio aIcn on aXnarianaQH nrol.u rd,
ist, said he had studied the question
carefully, and had been brought, by hi.
own observations, to the conclusion ex'
pressed by the preceding speakers.
This Is a very important and in
teresting point in vegetable pathology
aud If the views of the speakers art
confirmed by general observation "a.
we are inclined from our own ex,
perience to think they will be-, Il
would establish an important test o
the value OF nursery trees, as we'll a.
young trees in the'orchard. Mr.. White
expressed the opinion that, all nursery
trees showing a disposition TO bleed
are worthless, and should be consigned
to the brush heap. Doubtless many
orchard trees that show tbis fault may
recover, or If not, may produce muct
fruit before they die but the hope o
usefulness in any young tree that hai
mark of unsoundness upon it, is very
small In our severe climate,-Watch
man & Journal.