The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-08
Pruning Orchard Trees.

In passing through the country one
cannot help observing that even the
readers of the ,Socknan do not read care
fully. An orchard containing large,
thrift apple trees is being pruned, for in
stance, and green limbs, four or five inch
es in diameter, are being cut off; and
worse than this, instead of cutting close
and smooth, so that the healing process
may begin soon, stubs of from two to six
inches in length are left sticking out
painful evidences, probably not of the
carclessness of the workman, but his lack
of information.
Unless an orchard is in dying condi-
ton, it is very rare indeed that great big
limbs should be cut off Neglect for
number of years may make such pruning
necessary. Interfering or crossing limbs
or one branch of fork, which the prun
ing knife could have removed at the
right time may have to be taken off;
but only one, or at most, two, such
large limbs should be pruned 10 one sea-
son.
Some take the ground that all prun.
iug is wrong, because unnatural. This
cannot be well sustained, for nature does
not transplant and graft, and does not do
many other things that the judgment
and skill of man have shown to be bene-
fetal. But while judicious pruning at
proper times is not to be con-
demned, "cutting and slashing" is al
ways.
Another error of the pruner who does
not Understand is trimming up 30 as to
leave long, bare trunk e"oosed to the
sunshine and to the attacks of the bark
insect. The warm sun matches out'the
eggs of this insect, and the little crea-
lures make their way to the inner bark,
on which they feed at fret, and the
whole Southwest side of the trunk is de
stroyed before danger is apprebended.
This insect (Chrysobothris tenlorata) is
much more common in the central West
than the apple tree borer of the East;
and the most convenient way to head
of is to shade the trunk by the growth of
smaller branches keeping them in check,
of course) until the top of the tree is
large enough to do the shading.
The pruning of the peach differs very
materially from the foregoing. The
tree, as rule, receives less pruning than
any other fruit tree, while it needs more.
As is we'll known, it produces its crop on
the wood of the previous years growth;
and as the terminal buds are most in
clined to push, the height increases year
by year, until in time the tree has but a
few long branches stretching away up,
or out, with leaves, or leaves and fruit.
at the top only.
Instead of this, the tree, by correct
pruning, can be kept in good form, rather
low and round-headed, or spreading all
the limbs fairly within reach, with
the fruit evenly distributed aud easy to
gather.
The pruning, which should be done
annually in Spring, consists in cutting
back the previous seasons shoots, re-
moving one.third to one-half lin lengthy
and in addition to this, of the second
or third year, cutting cut about one-tenth
of these shoots, as they become too mum.
erous.
Three things are gained by this: ~
Keeping the top of the tres in proper
shape; (2) Maintaining a regular sup
ply of bearing wood; (9) Reducing the
crop of fruit, and thus saving the tree
from the bad effects of overbearing, and
adding to the size and quality of the fruit
allowed to remain.
The time for the work, as stated above,
is in the Spring, any time before the trees
are in full leaf, but moderate pruning,
even when the leaves are fully developed,
is better than not to prune at all.-7he
,Stockman.