Connecticut western news., 1878-10-02
General Principles of Pruning.

From the removal of a seeding plant from the seed bed, through each suc- cesslve stage of growth, until the ma tured tree, exhausted by age, dies, prun- ing figures as one of the most important operations connected with management of orchard and vineyard. The pomolo- glst prunes to induce fruitfulness and to diminish it; one portion of a tree is cut away to reduce it's vigor and thereby favor the growth of some weaker part. A stem, branch or shoot is cut back to produce ramifcations of these parts and thereby change or modify the form of the tree. Pruning IS accomplished in the growing as we'll as in the dormant season, and is no longer confined to the branches, but the roots come in for their share in this manipulation.
 In order to render the operation of pruning a successful and comparatively easy one, the principles and practices of pruning must be carefully studied in connection with the habits of growth and bearing of the different fruit trees. Barry, in his Fruit Garden, rests the theory of the pruning of fruit trees on six general principles:
 FSrst-The vigor of tree subjected to pruning depends in 8 great measure on the equal distribution of sap in all it's branches. To accomplish this the fol lowing means are advised, to be suc- cessfully employed: CD Prune the branches of the most vigorous parts very short and those of the weak parts long. CD Leave large quantity of fruit on the strong part and remove the whole or greater part from the feeble. (3) Bend the strong parts and keep the weak erect. as the more erect the branches are the greater will be the flow of sap to the growing parts (this remedy is especially applied to espalier trees). (D Remove from the vigorous parts the superAous shoots as early in the season as possible and from the feeble parts as late as pos sible. (5) Pinch early the soft extremi- ties of the shoots on the vigorous parts and as late as possible on the feeble parts, except always any shoots which may be too vigorous for their position. (6) Lay in the strong shoots. on the trel- lis early and leave the feedle parts loose as long as possible in espalier trees.
 Seco,ad-The sap acts with greater force and produces more vigorous growth on branch or shoot pruned short than on one pruned long; hence the practice of pruning short where wood branches are desired and long for fruit branches.
 zhird-The sap tending always to the extremities of the shoots causes the ter minal bud to push with greater vigor than the laterals.
 FOurth-The more the sap is ob- structed in it's circulation the more like ly it will be to produce fruit buds.
 FSfth-The leaves serve to prepare the sap absorbed by the roots for the nourish- ment of the tree and aid the formatlon of buds on the shoots. All trees, there fore, deprived of their leaves are liable to perish.
 SSrth-When the buds of any shoot or branch do not develop before the age of two years they can only be forced into activity by close pruning, and in some cases, notably the peach, this even will often fail
 In relation to the season for pruning, the climate and nature of the tree must settle the question in a greater or less degree. As rule, at-the South, winter pruning, performed soon after the fall of the leaf, is largely practised. In the North the months of February, March, and even April are popular ones, though hardy fruits are not unfrequently pruned whenever the farmer has leisure time between the falling of the foliage to the second month of spring. MT. Barry and other trustworthy cultivators advise prun- ing the peach just as the buds begin to swell, because the fruit and leaf-buds are then easily di distinguished from one another. Grape-vines, gooseberry and currant bushes can be pruned any time during the winter if the wood is treated for propagation, trim before the season of severe frosts, as the buds are liable to be injured. Some fruits are recom- mended to be lightly pruned, as too close cutting tends to the production of gum.