Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-12
FARM AND FRUIT.
SUGGESTIONS AS TO SUMMER PRUNING
OF PRUIr TRREs-ETc.
Necessity for Greater Care in Fruit Pack
ing-The Profits from Poultry
Practical Bints-Etc.

Upon the proper use of the pruning
shears and hook depends much of the re
suits Of all other efforts, however well di
rected, for securing the best yield and re
turns of most kinds of fruit This fact is
now becoming well understood, and, il
may be said, is far better applied at pres
ent in this State than perhaps in any Sec
ton of the Eastern States. The people
from the East are always struck with the
extent to which pruning is done to fruit
t-ees in California, and many times express
the opinion that it is carried to wide ex-
cess, This may be in some instances, but
the tendency is undoubtedly not in that di-
rection. There needs, however, to be the
greatest care exercised in the matter, and
full knowledge.npon the subject should al
wavs be possessed before any pruning
whatever is done, for different kinda OF
fruit trees require entirely different treat
ment. What would be judicious and sue
cessful pruning to one kind Of trees, would
successfully ruin some other kind which
might stand adjoining. Some require much
cutting back, while other kinds require
but very little, or perhaps, none. Again,
the growth produced in different years
often renders it necessary to cut more from
the same kind of trees, plants or vines,
some seasons than others. There are, how
ever, general rules which may be laid down,
and with these common sense must be ex-
ercised, together with due attention, OBJ
servation and study as to methods which
bring bsst results.
The question as to the time of the year
when pruning should be done is an i'm
portant one, but it is well established that
no one period can be pointed out to the ex-
clusion of all other seasons when it must
be attempted. Undoubtedly when the
leaves are off is the principal season but
if for any reason that time has been allowed
to pass without this necessary work being
done, it is far better to do it now than to
let it 60 longer. This, both for the benefit
of the growing crop, and the preparation
of the tree by its growth for next seasons
bearing. Besides there are some trees and
vines which must, if properly cared for, be
cut back while the summer growth Is IN
progress, or much loss to tree and the next
crop will be entailed.
The st. Helena Star, speaking upon this
subject recently, said
"No orchard or fruit garden can be said
to be well managed if summer pruning is
neglected, for the strength and vigor of the
trees, bushes or vines, will be wasted in
making superhuous wood instead of form
ing fruit buds for next years crop. 1t is
better to pinch off tender shoot than to
IL a L. IL. Et,a
application Of the knife or it may be, the
saw. The old proverb which says that
I" as the twig is bent the tree is inclined"
is very expressive. If We wish to obtain
well formed trees we must begin in proper
time, and bring them into the desired shape
by iudicious pruning. The formation of
low branches should be encouraged in fruit
trees for the double purpose of having the
fruit within reach, and shading the stem
from the rays of the sun.
If summer pinching or pruning is COM
menced in proper time, there will not be
so many one-sided or ill-shaped trees to be
seen, the center of the trees will not be
crowded with wood, nor with branches
crossing and chatting each other. Most
trees are inclined to grow more to one side
than the other, shooting out toward light
and fresh air. It will be necessary to check
this tendency by shortening in or removing
those branches which extend too far on one
side. The centers of fruit trees of any
kind should be kept sufficiently open to
admit the rays of the sun to the fruits on
all its branches. Young trees should be
carefully examined from time to time and
all shoots that tend to choke up the center
removed. In training trees as pyramids,
it sometime happens that the side branches
shoot up above the central Or leading
branch. This tendency should be corrected
by pinching the shoots as fast as they ap-
pear, thus keeping down the irregularity
and bringing the trees into the desired
shape. The productiveness of apple, pear,
peach and plum trees, and of gooseberry
and currant bushes, may be increased and
the size of the fruit considerably enlarged
by spur. pruning-that is, by shortening in
the shoots of the last years growth, leav.
ling only spura few inches in length"
Poultry Is the most profitable stock that
can be kept, either for family consumption
or as business. 1t is rarely that eggs
sell for less than twenty five cents pound,
and hen will produce, says an exchange,
twelve to fifteen pounds of eggs In year,
besides rearing a brood OF chicks, which
at three months old will weigh twenty-five
pounds in the aggregate. This is a product
of about forty pounds of the most concen.
trated and nutritious food from single hen
in q year and the largest product in pro-
portion to live weight of all other animals,
A cow weighing 1000 pounds will yield
very rarely more than 400 pounds of cheese
and calf, weighing, when year old, BOG
pounds. The hen, too, Tar exceeds in the
value of her product in proportion to cost
of keeping, that of any other animal. she
may be we'll fed for one dollar a year,
while her product at ordinary prices viii
be at least six dollars. But if half of thi:
is stricken off a profit of two dollars fol
the year is left. In what other way car
fifty dollars year, or one dollar week,
be realized so easily and 80 surely as by
keeping flock of twenty five fowls But
as in other things, this profit is made more
surely and easily by skilled work than by
hard labor When one brings the head tc
the aid of the hands, the profit of the labor
is greatly increased This is true of al
work, of whatever kind it may be; an6
perhaps there is no other work in which
profit is more sacrificed by want of care AND
skill than in keeping poultry, otherwise
eggs would not sell for forty to fifty cents
a dozen in the winter, and chickens al
twenty or twenty-five cents pound lii the
spring, or even more for the best quality Of
spring chickens. So, too, capons, pro
duct OF skilled labor, sell at times for fifty
cents pound, and rarely less than thirty
cents. Where the failure is chiefly made
in keeping poultry is in neglect of the
simplest requisites. Warmth, dryness,
cleanliness and liberal and judicious feed
ing, are required with fowls, precisely a:
they are for the health and well-doing Of
persons. If, then, one who keeps poultry
will consider these facts, and profit by
them, there will be no cause for or risk Of
failure. Even child cannot fail in his OF
her little venture, il care is taken to secure
these needful conditions. And there car
be no better training for farm by or cir
than the keeping of small flock of fowls,
and at the same time no better business fol
grown person who will give time and at
tention to it.
The necessity Of greater care in putting
up canned fruits of all kinds is more anC
more apparent. The Eastern canned fruits
which are sold in the market here are otter
very far from choice, and a single purchase
of one particular brand frequently is suff
cient for all times. Formerly the Mary
land Eastern Shore, Delaware and jersey
canned fruits were regarded as perfection,