The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-02-26
Pruning Ornamental Trees.


pruno. II you want trees, not bushes. let
them be trained to a single stem. This
remark applies, however, more to deciduous
trees than to coniiers. Most of the latter
only push ont lateral branches from the
lowest part of the stem, and are thus ftath- |
cred 90 the ground, without throwing up |
more than one main trunk. But deciduous !
trees, especially where they have sufficient |
room, frequently throw up two or three |
stems which rival each other, or strong |
shoots from the lower part of the stems, |
which become large branches in time If
the rival stems are not all excised but one
and it the branches spriuging low from that
stem are not Topped off, no tree will then be |
formed, but only large bush. Our remarks |
on pruning apply only to ornamental trees,
and are directed purely to ornamental ends
The pruning of fruit trees is based on quite
different principles, and directed toward
securing the largest quantity and best quail
ity of fruit, quite irrespective of elegance Of
appearance The main objects to be secured
by pruning are-tirst, to develop handsome
''liN hNhlNhN iiblu tluuk, NnlCu Is OllN W
livcrge into branches at given height from
The ground. Where trees are grown in close
proximity to each other, as in woods, nature
performs the Office of dcnuding the stems of
.hcir lower branches. When in such close
,oatact, want Of air and deficiency of light,
combined with the mechanical effect of fric-
tion and the natural tendency of sap up.
ward, cause the destruction of all but the
upper limbs of the trees. But while in
spacious forest a multitude of tall branchless
trunks, cauopied over by foliage high over
our heads, possess beauty and majesty
| quite their 0wn such q feature in isolated
specimens or in small clumps would lose its
| charm. Hence, in artiticially divesting
trees of branches at six, eight or ten feet
from the ground, you are to have regard to
| the lateral space you wish them to occupy,
and the aspect which You wish them to pre-
sent The second object in pruning is to
obtain symmetrical shape by looping Off
| Struggling boughs or branches clearing part
of the shoots that grow inside the head
when they are too numerous, cutting away
all dead wood and unhealthy growths, etc.
! In pruning a tree, cut away the branch
which is to come away close to the trunk,
and the bark will soon "ealus' over and
! cover the scar. In forest pruning, it is held
| that branch should be amputatod at Il foot
| or more from the trunk, or else the excision
will cause knots in the timber. However
| this may be as applied to forestry, it cannot
apply to the pruning of ornamental trees );
for nothing can be uglier than these "snags"
as such projecting old stumps are called. In
| training young trees to a stem, do it by de-
grees year after year. till you have denuded
| the stem as high as you wish. Some at once
cut away all the lateral branches of young
tree, except few at the extreme top of the
| sapling. Others do still worse. With a
view of forcing an upward growth, they cut
| the side branches to within a few inches of
the stem, leaving the ugly snags on to push
| few weak twigs next year. The result of
| this treatment is that the desired upward
yrowth is obtained with vengeance. The
stem hardly grows in thickness, the sap rises
to the few uncut boughs at the top, and you
get a tall, thin, weakly object, that will
never form tree at all. 1t becomes what is
technically called ''whippy," because it
resembles coachman's long whip, and the
only remedy, if once the young tree has
been pruned into that shape, is to take it up
and plant another in its stead, which you
must take care not to serve in the same
manner.
| 1t is the growth Of the side branches which
promotes expansion in the diameter of the
main stem, and the lower ones must only be
removed by degrees; when those higher up
| appear sufficiently numerous for the young
| tree to bear the loss of the lower ones with
impunity. lfa young bow shows propen-
sity to grow out of place, Or to an undue
| length, so as to require repression, this may
be effected while in young stage of growth,
| by simply pinching off its extremity, thus
| arresting its further extension. The proper
| time to prune trees is between the cessation
of their growth in autumn and the move
ment of their sap the in spring. The
amputation during summer of the woody
parts OF trees Is Injurious to them in many
ways, and in many species produces a copi-
Gus discharge of sap termed "bleeding'')
which considerably weakens them. But
the process of trimming hedges, or (where
there is fancy for such things clipping
evergreens into fantastic shapes, is perform
ed in summer, as this promotes second
growth from the parts that are left untouch-
ed, which makes the foliage and spray dens-
er.-1 lioRpedien, in Enqlish Garden.