The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1883-02-15
for TIE farmer.
WINTER PRUNING.

There arc times when practice and theory do
not ayr Q, and winter pruning is a case in point.
ne Oh gardeners have been taught that fresh
wonp ds. during cold, freezing weather, would
not neal; that disease would certainly set in,
es' lsing death or permanent injury to portion
( the tree at least. Theory certainly teaches
that when the inner organism of the wood is ex-
posed, the air at a low temperature Will freeze
The delicate paris and death must result; yet
we find our nurserymen Of latter years pruning
their trees during very cold weather, on account
OF the personal comfort to themselves, arising
from the dry, firm ground to walk on; and no
i'll effects arise therefrom. The old adage of
''pruning whenever your knife is sharp" lis not
so far from the truth after all, although preju-
dice, at least, will incline us to defer the opera
tion until the mild days Of carly spring.
How,to prune is a question of difficult solu-
ton, owing to the individual experience and
preference of our teachers in the matter.
A system that has proved entirely salts
factory to more than one, is performed
somehow in this wise: In the earlier stages of
the trees life after it has become established in
the orchard or garden, select three branches, as
nearly as possible together, and at a height
from the ground depending upon the desired
length of the body. These three branches should
diverge at eqnal angles, and resemble what bot
anists term "whorl.r About eighteen inches
above this whorl another set Of three branches
should be encouraged to start out, and all others
between the two sets should be rubbed or cut of.
This arrangement Of branches must be contin-
ued as the leading shoot increases in height. As
to the side branchlets growing ont of the select
ed branches, these must be thinned ont with
judgment, allowing only sufficient to remain to
form an open. healthy top. II headed in too
much, q crowded head will result, which is a
waste of vitality. Pruning causes strong growth,
but at the same time it will be at the expense
Of the trees constitution. The main points in
pruning trees may be summed up in very few
words Commence when the plant is very
young, and no harm will result in removing the
slender young twigs; but if allowed to remain
until they assume the size of thick branches,
more or less injury will result.
Be sure to give cut portions of large. wounds
a coating of shellac dissolved in alcohol, or
when very large, wrap up in moist clay and
COW manure. Dull tools invariably leave n
rough, Jagged surface, which Is more difficult
to heal than over a perfectly smooth cut.
In the ornamental department, no set rules
can he laid down to guide the inexperienced
arbOriculturist, but any one with an eye to SYM
metrical proportions can induce the head Of q
favorite specimen TO assume proper proportions
and outline. IL the tree incines to become stray
Cling. with long shoots, bare of branchlets, they
| must be well headed back; and if the limbs
spread too much, cut to an inside bud; but if,
on the contrary, they grow too closely together,
| then select an outside bud to cut back to. Ii is
preferable to encourage a straight leading shoot
| to all trees, and never allow it to fork under
| any circumstances More trees are injured by the
| high winds when in the latter condition than
| from any other Standardization Garden.