The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-07-26
Summer Pruning of Fruit Trees.

Doubtless there Is no feature of agrlcul-
tural or horticultural life about when 50
much has been written that Is yet as little
understood properly generally as the art
and time of pruning fruit trees. An oiu
writer who was Over-indulgent IN iaconics
said that the proper time 10 prune was when
the knife was sharp.
In one sense of the word the aphorlsm
is true. pruning is at all time poorly and lily
ACCOMPLISHED with tools that are dull.
Pruning is. properly speaking, surgical
art; and there is no true surgeon on earth
who attempts his practice on the human
body except with the very keenest ana best
of Instruments. The only exceptions 70
this rule are those that are the outcome
of necessity, when in emergencies 1t Is I'M
possible to obtain the keen and perfect In
strument.
All wounds. rs a rule, heal more kindly
and rapidly when the cut or injury made
has smooth surface Wounds in the
vegetable world are no exceptionxA A limb
cut off with knife or fine saw VIII present
surface that will more readily heal over
than if it had been torn off by violence, as
with an overload in n storm.
Close observation has also revealed the
fact that the healing process is accomplish
ed with more rapidity at certain seasons OF
the wear than 1T others. That time is
when the tree wounded or pruned is in its
most rapid growth. The greatest growth
OF a tree is usually in the summer months,
July and August. After it sheds It's tonnage
there is little or no growth during the Win
ter and until the spring is fairly upon II,
and hence it is that if fruit tree is wound
ed. either in prunings purposely made or
otherwise very late IN the
summer or fall the wound stands exposed
To the action of the weather and atmos-
pberic influences tending to produce decay
for a much longer period than If made ear
IL in the summer or late in the spring.
Theoretically the proper time TO prune
fruit tree is when the wood bud begins
TO appear, and when no instrument is nee
essary except the sharp thumb nail Inc
rule or principle of early training does not
snnlv alone to the childhood of the human
race. The ideal manhood and womanhood
can not be attained if the child is neglect
Ell in its early life.
Nor can the ideal fruit tree be produced
if the tender scion is allowed to run wild
and to send out prOmiScuously suckers ana
laterals and forks without any regard TO
symmctry of shape in the tree, and without
due consideration of the fruit-bearing pro-
nar:ies and necessities of the tree.
There is one fact which the great maJorI-
Nv of people either forget or remain in igno-
rance about in attempting to produce tle'
ideal tree That fact is this: Inc juno
ton of a limb with the main body OF the
tree never changes its place, 1t remains III
the same distance from the ground forever
sfterward, the base of the limb never grows
inward The inward growth of the tree
Is from the upper end of the tree, not from
below. although the body of the wood is OF
the exogenous growth, that is, from the out
side. not inwardly, in the case OF plants
of a lower order, such as coTh'
Rearing this fact in mind that limb once
started never grows upward from the ground
Mt its base the man VINO
wants to have an ideal tree can
never fail to have guiding principle on 'he
training of his tree. The idea is never to
sIloy any growth on the fruit tree where
that growth is not absolutely required Tor
fruit bearing or for support to the fruit
producing branches Sometimes the laws
of symmetry require something else.
As soon as the growth starts on the trunk
of the tree, or on any of the main limbs,
It should be cut off or pruned Immediately
unless a limb is wanted exactly at that
spot for the purpose named above. The
sooner it is cut or piuched off the better
il is for the future tree. Usually this work
can be best done in the spring when the
wood buds are first starting.
If any OF our farmers have trees which
were neglected In the early spring and that
require pruning now is Il good time to do
the work The wood is growing rapidly
and if the cut is made with Il keen knife,
and with IN upward stroke there will be
little or no danger in removing the limbs.
Always cut close TO the body Of the tree.
There is, in most of fruit trees, small
ring or extra growth just at the base of
the new limbs. Cut off the limb to be re
moved just at the outer rim edge of
this ring, and YOU will be surprised to see
how promptly and how rapidly the ring
will project itself over the wound and soon
cover the dead wood where the cut had
been made. The subject will be given fur
Their treatment in future issue.
NJ. V. NJ