Smyrna times., 1880-08-11
Pruning.

Having secured well rooted and heal
thy stock, pruning to promote vigor IS no
longer required and, if health and vigOr
are all we seek, Nature may be left to
take her course. What else do we seek?
Each man, before he decides to prune, or
asks how to do it, must answer this ques-
ton to his own satisfaction. Unless he
has some idea of what he wants no one
can give him instruction in the art of at
tanning his wishes. All this is obvious
enough, yet it needs to be insisted upon +;
for pruning is not a magical art, nor a |
system of routine. 1t is the application
of common sense methods to securing
definite objects.
Suppose we have young orchard
the trees after their first summer, stand
4 ing from four to six feet high and irregu-
larly branced If we desire that when
full grown, they shall carry their princi-
pal branches only two feet above the
ground we must cut the tops back, to as
sist the formation of stout lower limbs.
If we wish, on the contrary, for tall
trunks, We must initiate Natures method
of forest pruning; let the trees grow
stocky and remove the under branches,
few each winter, after they have become
half an inch or an inch i'll diameter.
Too much haste in this work will leave
the stem slender and weak Meanwhile
we select from all the horizontal shoots,
those which please us best for principal
branccs and we encourage their growth
by cutting off the twigs which do not
suit us. If we care for an evenly balan-
ced head we prunc those shoots which
project too far, making them little
shorter than those which extend in the
opposite direction. We always cut to a
bud or a twig that points the direction in
which we wish the growth to proceed.
Some fruit trees are naturally fastigiate or
is upright growers and it is difficult to give
them sufficient spread. Rapid growth,
whether caused by rich soil or by excess
i've pruning, increases the tendency oi
y the young shoots to assume the perpen.
- dicular 1t is a good rule, in these and
IS other cases Of special difficulty, to dc
{ nothing unless one knows what to do
q An expert pruner will give what shape
le he pleases to a tree but the inexperien
ei ced must combine judicious boldness will
h iudicious caution.
- Natural symmetry requires the preser
vation of the axis or central stem, from
which all the branches are to radlate.
the main leader or tOpmost upright shoe
nd is lost, two or three others commOnl,
in usurp its place and strive for supremacy
iht Rt If allowed to grow together they pro
gee duce a fork which, aside from its lack q
nd symmetry, is cause of, weakness an
All ali decay. Peach trees suffer peculiarly fror
at. this cause. The remedy is the remov:
not Of all but one of the upward shoots.
ghh More rarely, but often with evergreen:
ys, the leader is not replaced by nature, C
nts nj; not Immediately. If there is no twig S
oog3e we'll situated that it may be bent upwar
ed, and tied into position it becomes neces
tSG iSo sary to force new leader into pushin
: itself up, 'by severely pruning the tol
,Gdyy most horizontal shoots. They must no
our however, be cut off entirely since frol
ug their bases new buds are to be expected
:" Orchard trees are, generally, allowe
to increase in size, without limit bl
y grapevines need to be confined to pred
. termined spaces. We must decide,
v advance, how many vines shall occupy q
y acre whether they shall be supported |
posts, trellises, arbors or otherwise.
vine which has attained its full size mus
on the average, be deprived each winte
of as much growth as it had gained du
ing the previous summer. 1t must ha'
stems that are never cut themselves b
!. down to which everything else is cut bar
and from which everything is renewed.
The first object of the pruner al
trainer is TO form these permanent ster
or arms and secure them in their perm
:. nent positions. He begins by cutting t
q. stock back after its first summer till Il
number of buds remaining is equal to t
number Of arms desired !; generally fro
two to SIX. In some cases, however,
where single vines are trained to the t.
of house, the main stem is allowed
r become very long before permanent arr
are selected. The cane that has on
>. borne foliage or fruit never does so aga
but from it sprang other bearing can
c..A the next season and others from the
the season afterwards so that fruit a
leaf production perpetually recede frc
the root. So far, there is no essent
difeTence between a grapevine and
fuit-tree; but grapeslar borne upon q
2.a seasons growth, cherries and stone fir
. in general upon that Of last season, VIII
N n apples and pears commonly require. t
Y seasons for the formation of fruit bu,
This peculiarityr of the grapevine 81
gests a simple and common method
renewal which is the easiest and m
Il satisfactory TO inexperienced persons. I
y bearing shoots of each summer are
:. backcthelpext winterto two or three bu
n The very icwestJor basal bud is apt
T" give cane which does not bear, VIII
may be rubbed off or preserved
another method of renewal, in which
~ sets Of canes are raised each year,
w bearing canes at pruning, time cut cl'
y off and the others shortened to a
buds. There are many other systems
renewal-for vines aud many methods
te training trees.OWe have given tn
2s-tf which are most readily understood |