The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-04-13

Pruning the Orchard.

ing; first, to shape the tree; second,
to admit the life giving sunlight
among the branches; and third to
check the growth of non-bearing, and
stimulate the growth of wood. In re-
gard to the first object to be obtained,
the time to shape tree is while it is
young; as the twig is bent, the tree is
inclined. If the right care is be-
slowed upon them the first three or
four years of their growth, there is
seldom any need of the woodbutcher
style of pruning in after years. An
orchard neglected while young looks
horrid if pruned when old on account
of so many large limbs being taken
out Now my idea of the form of
fruit tree, is trunk smooth and
straight; and three to four feet from
surface of ground to first branches;
and top of the tree the shape of an
egg small end up. Of course it is
not always possible to have the tree
this shape, some trees being upright
growth, and others of side branching
habits. Those of upright growth
should be pruned to the outside bud
so to. give a spreading top. Those of
side branching habits should be prun-
ed to top or in side bud. The graft
properly set on the root, by the nur-
seryman should under ordinarily fav-
orable condition of growth, speak
now of the growth of fruit stock in
this western country attain an up
right whip like growth of from three
to five feet the first season. Now if
the top of this whip is cut off and all
the buds pinched off except the four
highest, this will force the growth to
them, the next season thus sending
out what, in after years, will be the
main branches of the tree. | would
not branch tree higher than three
or four feet above the ground; first
because the low head will tend to pro-
tect the trunk and main branches,
from danger of sun scalding and
second because we do not want the
distance too long for the sap to travel
&0 RI 10
form the fruit bearing wood. Having
thus began the shaping of the tree,
our next object should be to encour-
age the growth of branches in such
directions as to have the tree as near
~ balanced as possible. A tree thus
cared ior at the beginning of it's
growth, very little attention to it
each season, pinching cf buds and
new growth where no branches are
desired, will be sufficient to keep it in
good shape without resorting to cut
ting or saving off large limbs, except
in case of repairing damage, by the
breaking of large branches by storm
or accident. AS to time of year for
pruning, any time will do after the
sap is thoroughly down, as it is term
ed. in the fall and before it has start
ed in the spring, but would advise
spring pruning, for then little time
will elapse before the new growth will
tend to heal over the cuts. AS to the
second object of pruning, probably
most of you have noticed the infer
iority of size, color and flavor of ap-
pies grown in the shade, in thickly
busned tree compared with those
grown in the full sunlight on a tree
with the superfuous brush trimed
out, and the same holds true of other
fruit. Notice plant grown in dim
" lighted cellar although the heat,
Air. moisture and soil may all be most
favorable to its growth yet what
a sickly growth it makes without the
sunlight we never need anything
brighter than the glorious sunlight of
our summer weather; so let us not de-
prive our fruits by leaving too much
brush on our tree tops. On the third
object of pruning but little can be said
observations and experience among
our trees are by far the best teacher,
but the general rule is that root and
top must be in proportion.
AS in transplanting, more or less OF
the roots are cut or broken; l would
cut back the top to correspond; when
the tree is we'll rooted in its perman-
ent location, it is we'll to take little
notice. each season, of the new growth
of twigs and branches, as they are to
form fruit bearing buds the following
season.. The general tendency of fruit
trees in this western country seems to
he to form too much top; if too much
Growth has been made in a season II
can hardly be expected to rlpen Its
wood and have the health and vlgol
TO bear the most perfect fruit. In
snch cases it would be much better tt
cut away the poorest and most illshapt
twigs and the better quality of frui
/, horne on what remains will more
than pay for what might have come
on the twig took off. What l have
said has beeu in reference to fruit tree
but my plan of pruning would var.
but slightly in the case of small frul
But peach, apricot and nectarlne
e should not branched more than on