The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-05
summer Pruning for Fruit Trees.

D. Boynton. in American Gardener.
There is q great tendency for sap to force it
self to the topmost branches of a tree, which
induces rank growth of tender, watery shoots
from these t0pn1ost boughs. Unless this is
checked, the growth is mainly upward, and the
largest share Of the nourishment Of the tree
will, of course, go up into this new growth
leaving but comparatively small amount to de-
velop and ripen the fruit on the lower branches.
This tendency is particularly noticeable in the
grapevine.
Where the vines are allowed to fellow their
natural inclination they will climb to the tops
Of the highest trees, perhaps, and all that i'm
l1ense length Of stem from the ground to the
top but serves as carrier for the nourishment
that is demanded by the top. They may fruit
luxuriantly after they have reached the top Of
their. support, but not a branch or twig or a
bunch Of berries Will you ind on that long
stretch or stem Now, this same vine might
have been trained over six-foot trellis, where
it would have borne more and better fruit within
easy reach of the grower. If you want small
wild grapes let your vines grow unpruned and
you will soon have thern--by climbing for them
This tendency to upward growth to the loss Of
the lower branches is more noticeable in The
grapevine than in the apple tree, but it is the
nature Of all tree growth, and It must be checked
or the rank shoots viii surely rot the fruit
stems.
The healthy growth of the lower branches and
the successful ripening of the fruit depend upon
the proper return flow OF the snip from the ex
tremities. Long-eontinued damp, cloudy and
wet weather will sometimes induce an extra
growth Of wood that absorbs this sap to the
drainage and loss of the fruit busters. II these
shoots are nipped off in the summer, the flow of
the sap IS checked and thrown back to the lower
branches. The excessive wood growth is
checked by the same means, and the tree kept
in proper form. The tree is kept in a uniformly
thrifty condition. which will enable It to with
stand the severe winter much better than if
there were rank Growth in one part, gained
through lack of nourishment and consequent
vitality Of another part
Early summer is the most effective time Of all
the year for pruning, The immediate fruit crop
may be increased and improved and the tree
kept in a uniformly thrifty condition. The
slashing ont of large limbs in the fall and winter
is not the thing to my mind Where q limb is
cut off before the sap goes up the rising sap will
the end-iust like red sprouts that come up
around the stump of a tree that has been felled
in winter but if pRuhed after the leaves are out,
such growth will not occur.
do not believe in severe pruning at any time,
but believe in pruning little every year. so
that excessive pruning will not seem necessary.
The pruning should never be allowed to get be-
yond the reach Of the jack-knife When see a
man saving and chopping out the top of q tree,
know that the pruning fever strikes him about
once in every decade. Such pruning is worse
than no pruning.
Some follow the practice Of pruning every fall,
and Ihave often wondered how they could fail to
see the absurdity of producing such an over
growth in the summer, just for the sake of cut
ting it away in the fall. The only way that we
can avoid this waste of wood and hacking of
trees is by judicious summer pruning
After a fruit tree has attained a good fair size
and form. all further wood growth should be dis
couraged by nipning back the most forward
shoots, especially those that are pushing out
from the top.