Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-05-04
Practical Pruning.

As to the time to prune l think many
persons err in practice whes, theoretically,
they believe they are not taking the very best
season, but they do it in spring because they
then have about more or less Of orchard
work, and they like to finish it.
have cut at all times of the year, and
find no worse time than spring, and just that
point in the season when buds begin to swell
or Immediately before. Pruning peach and
cherry at that time is especially unfortunate.
We wish to see all cuts commence TO heal
precisely at the point or section. but If done
at that time the bark is apt to die back more
or less, from the cut making larger scar to
heal over. Where shortening in is practiced
it is important to be able to depend upon
any particular bud you may want to par
tally change the direction which some of
the leading shoots are taking; but, If done
at the time mentioned, you cannot rely upon
the bud nearest the end. 1t may take the
lead, but it will as often be the second, per-
haps the third, and sometimes even the
fourth bud will make the shoot. SO the di-
rection the limbs will take becomes matter
Of uncertainty and it sometimes happens,
too, that the cad bud makes faint start, the
second one comes a little stronger, while the
third will push out vigorously, and outstrip
the others which is, Of course, unsatisiac-
tory
One Of the notions Of the old times was
that We must cut off the tap root to throw
the growth into the lateral roots so that by
getting moro heat at the surface the fruit
would be Of brighter color and better flavor.
followed that rule until, among few nur-
sery trees of my own raising, l had three
trees with great tap roots and nothing else.
The rule would destroy those three and
could not think nature had made such mis-
take, and concluded to let her do what she
pleased with those beet-like roots, and the
place where planted the three great
tap-root trees was noted on my record.
The first seasons growth was equal to the
best, aud the trees and fruit, since, have not
been inferior to the others. Most forest
trees commence life with clean tap.root
and they dispense with it in their own time
and thrive without our help.
1t is claimed that the ends Of the roots,
where cut with spade, should be cut smooth
with knife before planting. have, u
number of times had occasion to move trees
that had been planted one and two years,
and whose larger roots had been cut smooth,
but the smaller, uncut roots had started Just
as we'll. Those were trees with fresh roots
at time OF planting. If roots are exposed,
after taking up, so as to become mouldy on
the end, | would cut them. l have, now
only one rule about roots; that is, plant all
you can get. | used to cover every little
cut above ground with coat Of wax or
shellac paint as carefully as we could do up
a cut finger, but | find no good in it. Cuts
uncovered heal perfectly aud that is good
enough. | will not say that, if cuts are
made in spring; covering is not beneficial,
will only say do not cut in spring.
A fortnight before midsummer is recon.
mended by one Of our best authorities on
genealogical subjects as being practically the
best time for pruning while another excel
lent authority claims that pruning should be
suspended until the trees have completed
their growth by extension and formed tn,
terminal bud at the end of their shoots
These two authorities hardly refer to th,
same date, because tho trees, under ordinary
circumstances, do not set their terminal budi
fortnight before midsummer. There is 0
time in the summer when pruning can b
done without outward or apparent injury
that time is not any specific date but dc
pends ON the stage of growth of the tree
which is varied by early aud late springs, by
wet and dry seasons, by manures and by
sterilty; and it will vary among different
trees on the same plat.
The manifestations of n seasons growtl
vary as the season progresses the activit.
of sap, the swelling buds, opening leave
and blossoms, the longitudinal growth anC
multiplication of leaves, the development
of wood and blossom buds for the following
season and the formation of the cambiun
, layers, which last takes place, mainly, afte
, the longitudinal extension has ceased.
Perhaps tree pruned at the most favora
bio simmer stage will show as good result
as at any other season but the difficulty @
0 determining just when it should be done
. apparent. | have seen unsatisfactory re
! suits from summer pruning manifested il
l two ways FROM exudation Of sap whic
0 sometimes continues through two seasons
and, also, by an apparent unripeness OF tn
: cambium layer in the vicinity of the cut, a
) manifested by winter killing when heav
. summer pruning is followed by hard VIII
!, ter. The recent hard winters have atforde
q many illustrations of this fact. Among ter
Q der varieties in unfavorable localities I'll
' damage has been much more extensive
, trees that have been summer pruned.
!. abandoned spring pruning wholly, and sun
9 mer pruning, to great extent, many yeai
II ago, and adopted instead the early wint6
IS season preierring the month Of Decen
0 Der.
e In shortening in peach trees at that SOL
IS son there is almost an entire certainty th;
Y tho bud nearest the end will take the growt
and in cutting larger limbs, although thel
is no apparent healing through the so-callc
:, dormant season, the bark never dies baC
- rom the cut, the wood is always scared, al
. when at the proper season, the process
y healing commences il covers surface
i clean aud sound wood. 1t is fair to say thi
!, this season, too, has its drawbacks. VIII
y the weather is very cold the wood is excee
4 ingly rigid. With the thermometer at ze
i the twigs are almost like steel. At su,
- times they should not be bent Meth
N should they be bent much when froz
~ at all. And it is part Of the art of DeceI
10 Der pruning to avoid injuring the limbs whi
= working among them. The ruthless bendiI
i which nurseryman displays in pruning
40 trees would be very damaging at this seaso
M IL is possible to do shortening in safely wi
a. the wood hard frozen, but, in such case,
,. twig must be supported by the other hand
a the knife passes through it. With this pl
caution scions may be cut in the same RIG
condition, but they must not be carried il
. a warm room.
= AS to what limbs should be thinned out
st. mans good sense will readily dictate to hi
GO il he will bear in mind wha; his tree is
ist attain to in after years, that the limbs m
L L l. L.