Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-03-15
AGRICULTURE.

The PRUSING OF OLD TREES. 1t is hard
ly necessary to explain that old trees re-
quire more cautious Treatment than young
er ones, which may, if necessary, be re-
modelled. In pruning an old tree 1t is not
q question of leader or Of increasing the
s,ze, and it is only deslrble to regulate the
shape of the head somewhat by shortening
when necessary, such branches as inter-
fere, by their length or position, with the
equilibrium of the tree itself, or iDjure 9th
er trees In its vicinity. The heads of old
trees should, as far as possible, be reduced
to q more or less rounded ovold, the lower
branches being the shortest. The main
branches should be LETT SIX to twelve feet,
or even larger If they are furnished with
sufficient shoots TO regulate the flow OF sap,
although it may be well to repeat that the
branches of the beach should not be short
ened, unless it can be done IN such q man.
uer IS to insure, by abundant foliage al
their ends, the supply Of sap necessary for
the regular development of the tree. In
shortening its branches it is difficult, espe-
cially for beginners in the art of pruning,
to determine the point at which the oper-
alton is best performed Practice and eY-
perience soon teach this, however; and,
even if few branches die under the oper-
alton, no very serious damage has been
done. Two or three large branches can
be safely removed at one time from old
trees, and, although II is not desirable TO
make many wounds on the trunk, they are
less injurious than dead and decaying
bl0bches. which produce cavities in the
trunk thrt should be avoided at any cost.
The branches Of an old tree should not be
allowed to interfere with the growth OF
younger tree standing near and INTENDED
to replace it. In cases of this sort the
branches OF the old tree should be cut IN
on the side nearest the young tree much
more severely than If it stood by itself.
How TO MOVE BEBs One year ago We
moved an sp:ary of 1S5 colonies just fifteen
rods, without the loss of bee. Again in
May we removed our entire apiary about
eight rods to another yard, with the same
result. Not TO exceed twenty-five bees
ever returned to The old yard, and before
night they were all at home and at work.
The rules we followed In both cases were
as follows: Remove just after dark in the
evening, and after giving the colonies plen-
ty of room in the hive (by putting on an
empty upper story, confine them. When
you remove them shake them up, SO that
they may realize all night that they are
prisoners. Leave no colories on tie old
ground, which smooth off as as level as
you can, and remove everything you can
handily that would be an old familiar
Landmark. Ii a bee is to recognize the
yard, make it difficult for him to locate the
position he once obcupied therein. Keep
the bees confined the next morning till the
sun gets well up, and they begin to get
quite uneasy. Then go and place board,
say foot or eighteen inches wide, up
against the entrance end Of the hive, and
lean it away so that it will be, say, about
one foot from the entrance; then open up,
and as soon as the bees emerge they will
discover at once that they are In a new
place, and must fly out sldewlse, and every
che will mark the new location. and ever
if one IN hundred should go 10 the old
yard from the blossoms, he also knows oi
another location, and will then try that on,
and stay where he finds bis old hive anG
home. believe in this theory, and know
II in practice.