The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-01
THE FARM AND HON b.
PRINCIPLES OF THE SCIENCE.
OF PRUNING.
impossible to Tell III Print How to
prune Trees-The Breeds or Geese
Horticultural Notes and
Home Hints.
The Science of Pruning.

4
When one understands the princi-
pies upon which any work Ms to be-
done the doing Of it becomes simple
matter and is not bound so much by
ways and methods as when the person
Is only following instructions and
does not know why the work is to be
done IN any special manner And in
the pruning OF trees and shrubs there
are several things to be considered as
to the various methods practiced as
circumstances may differ. And these
are 50 varied that it is impossible to
lay down any rules that will meet all
cases or that may not be mischievous
when wrongly applied.
The art Of pruning Is intended to
change the natural manner of the
growth OF trees or shrubs, so as to
render them more useful or beautiful,
says the London horticultural Times.
The natural growth of tree is to
form sections. each Of which is the
result of one years growth. and these
consist OF a central stem and diverg-
ent branches preceding from the, ter
minal bud Of the preceding years
growth. This form is not convenient
Tor an orchard of fruit trees or for
towering shrubs. which are all more
desirable when they have low
spreading growth on which the fruit
or flowers are borne. And to secure
this form we have to begin with the
young tree and train it into shape and
confine the growth in such a way as
will be most desirable for it's special
purpose.
Th s may be done to large extent
by disbudding. or pinching OF the
soft young shoots as soon as may be.
In this way a large amount of future
work may be avoided. and the un-
slightly hacking of trees which is so
frequently seen and which is so in
furious. is prevented In fact if we
take the trouble we may do all the
needed pruning in this way. but gen
orally it is more convenient to permit
the wood to grow and shorten or cut
it out when it is small at a conven ent
season, which is usually in the spring
1t will be easily realized that to know
how this is to be DONE the manner of
growth of the trees and shrubs is to
be studied, and this may be done
most conveniently and usefully
through the growing season.
1t is impossible to tel! in print how
to prune trees because they differ so
much in habit and form that each
case will require a special treatment.
Then every one must learn the
principles on which the work de-
ponds, and make rules for himself
and for each tree. Generally there is
a sort of fitness of things about trees
that appear TO the common sense of
any intelligent person. so that one
may take a careful look at a tree and
soon conceive what should be done,
having some clear idea of what is
wanted "r.. -#5 a.
And this we learn from the knowl-
edge how fruits are grown to the best
advantage. A fruit is closely analo-
gous to " leaf and it has some of the
functions of a leaf 1t grows only in
the sunlight. 1t Celebrates starch
from the carbonic acid of the atmos-
phere as a leaf does: and this only in
the sunligh bit. 1t changes the starch
into sugar under the influence of the
suns heat and as the season pro-
crosses to its termination the fruit
ripens and changes color. as the leaf
does by the decomposition of the
chlorophyyl or the .leaf-green. as
this term really means. This result
is such that where the aggregate heat
OF the sum mer is more than excessive
fruit ripens under this influence so
rapidly that the winter apples and
pears of the north ripen in the au-
tumn in the south. thus showing, as
will soon be seen. that the mode of
pruning changes even as to the lati-
tude. and where the sunlight should
be let into the trees in the north. to
ensure sufficient heat to ripen the
fruit, in more southern localities this
heat is to be modified by more
shaded form of the tree.
All this being SO we have then as
the first idea Of pruning to open the
tree to the light and the sun. keeping
the centre free by lessening the QUAINT.
lty OF wood there. The next idea is
that an excess Of fruit will not only
deteriorate the quality but exhaust
the tree. That it is necessary 10 keep
|, the fruit buds in subsection to the leaf
buds for it is the function of the
leaves to change the sap into starch.
and distribute the elaborated food
through the tree. and on the other
hand it is necessary to prevent any
excess of leaf bearing wood. and to
encourage the formation of fruit buds.
This is done by late pruning by
which too vigorous growth Of leaf
is checked. and the buds that would
have grown into branches and borne
leaves are turned into towering buds
and so bear fruit
The object Of these few observa-
tions is not to explain the whole sub
ject that would be impossible in the
space available for it Is an extensive
subject but to show how this common
practice OF the fruit grower is based
upon certain scientific principles and
also how it depends upon these prin-
ciples for success in practice But
one important point should not be
omitted; this is, the manner OF prun-
ing some towering shrubs in regard
to which a mistake, is very commonly