Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-04-12
Pruning Bearing Orchards.

TREES which are kept in good shape
while young will not be likely to need
much pruning when they become older
Rubbing off With his fingers small green
supernumerary shoot in time will save the
trouble of saving off large limb in after
years. But it is not often that orchards
receive this perfect management; the
owner is sometimes absent from home, or
pressed with other cares, at the time when
the pruning should be performed, and
needless branches and dense bushy tops
are the result. AS the trees become still
older the time required to cut away what
is not wanted and IS detrimental con-
tinues to prevent the owner from giving
attention to the subject, and he does not
like to commit the work to a laundering
laborer.
We have adopted practice by which
any hired man may prune an orchard of
the most valuable trees, with as much ac-
curacy and skill as it could be done by the
best horticulturist, or by the owner stand
ing by and directing every motion. We
can do it even better because any one can
mark out work to greater advantage if he
has but one object in view before his eyes,
than if his attention is constantly distracted.
We pass along the rows of trees, and
with piece Of chalk in hand draw a line
at the base of any limb requiring removal,
at the exact place where the workman is
to set in his saw or knife. With this single
object before us, we can do better than if
constantly compelled to cut and then look.
and cut and look continually. And we
can thus point out to man who has the
saw the exact spot for cutting much better
than to stand by and continue to give YER
hal IL tk,,a To-,
ont in half an hour work enough to keep
the laborer busy for half day, and he
needs no watching, for he cannot go
wrong
1t usually happens that the limbs in a
bearing orchard are beyond the ordinary
reach of chalk in hand. In this case we
attach the chalk TO slender pole. We
ind the small chalk cylinders used for
blackboard exercises in schools the most
convenient in this case. A round, slen-
der rod several feet in length is procured,
the smaller end of which is of the same
size as the cylinder. A strip of paste board
Is wound around one end and secured by
chord, and projects an inch or two be.
yond the end of the stick. In the paste
board thus formed the chalk is inserted, SO
mat the end only projects. The marker
Is now ready for work. AS the chalk
wears away in marking. the pasteboard
tube IS slipped down little, and thus i,
Is ready for marking till all is worn away,
When another replaces it. This cor riv-
ance answers perfectly for all smooth.
parked trees, and we have found it grea,
convenience in pruning large neglected
pear orchard
But when the bark is rough and the
lmos large, as in many apple orchards
common coarse chalk will be found to
answer best. This may be inserted in a
slender, forked stick or pole by shaving
away shallow groove on each side of the
chalk where it is 10 Fl, into the fork, and
tying it there.
In pruning trees it is desirable to give
mem an even, symmetrical head, and
branches not too crowded and evenly dis.
Liouled over every part; and special care
must be taken n avoid the common error
OF thinning out in the middle or interior