Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-10-17

The question of the time for pruning
trees must be settled, in a greater or
less degree, by the climate and nature
of the tree. As rule, at the South,
winter pruning, performed directly
after the fall of the leaf, is largely
practiced. In the North pruning be-
gins in many orchards as early as Feb
ruary and is continued through the
months of March, April, and, in some
localities, later. Hardy trees there are
which may be prunod whenever the
farmers find leisure between the drop
ping of the foliage and the second
month of spring. Trustworthy culti-
vators advise pruning the peach just
as the leaves begin to swell, because
the fruit and leaf buds are then readily
distinguished one from the other.
OF all trees the apple is most bene-
fitted by pruning; the ounce is also
better for judicious cutting back. Gen
orally speaking sweet cherry trees call
for sparse pruning only. All trees are
liable to injury from the removal of
large branches; this statement holds
especially true with the peach.
At meeting of the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society, where the usual
diversity of opinion was expressed in a
discussion on pruning, one member adj
vocated when large branches are to be
taken off, cutting the under side of a
limb part way through first, to prevent
it from splitting down the trunk and
leaving an ugly scar. A liquid grating
wax was also recommended for cover
ing the cut surface. The practice of
cutting the limb twice-the first time
about foot from the tree-leaving the
length specified to be taken Oft at the
second saving was advocated at this
same meeting. The first cutting was
advised at any convenient season, and
the last one to be done in summer.
The judicious pruning of fruit trees
rests on several general principles
which should be thoroughly under
stood. First, the vigor of tree sub
jected to pruning depends in great
measure on the equal distribution of
sap in all its branches. To accomplish
this the following means may be en-
ployed: Prune the branches of vigorous
parts short and of weak parts long.
Leave large quantity of fruit-buds on
the strong parts and few or none on the
weak parts. Remove from the vigor-
Gus parts superfluous shoots as early in
the season as possible, and from the
feeble parts as late as may be. Pinch
early the soft extremities of the shoots
on the vigorous parts and delay this
process on the feeble parts.
Another principle to be regarded is
the sap acts with greater force and pro-
duces more vigorous growth on branch
or shoot pruned short than one pruned
long; hence the practice of pruning
short; when wood branches are desired
and long for fruit branches. Other
things to be remembered in pruning,
whether this be done to induce fruit or
to diminish it, are-trst, the sap tend
ing always to the extremities of the
shoots causes the terminal buds to push
with greater vigor than the laterals. Sec
ond, the more the sap is obstructed in
its circulation the more likely it will be
to produce fruit buds. Third, the leaves
serve to prepare the sap absorbed by
the roots for the nourishment of the
tree and aid the formation of buds on
the tree-all trees, therefore, deprived
of their leaves are liable to perish.
Lastly, when the buds of any shoot or
branch do not develop previous to the
age of two years they can only be forced
into activity by close pruning, and in
some cases, notably the peach, even
this often fails to bring about the de-
sired result.-N. Y. World.