The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-03

/ before they start again, do the prun-
| ing, preparing the tree for the second
years growth. Cut back all main
! branches about three-quarters of their
length, leaving the tree in possession
of one-quarter of its previous years
growth being careful to cut off all
small branches on these main limbs
not a half or two-thirds, but the whole
length. 1t is we'll as the trees are
| commencing to grow the second year
to go over them once a week and rub
off the extra shoots, especially where
two or more come out at the same
place. Two new branches on each of
the three to five left from the first
years growth will be sufficient.
The pruning preparatory to the
third years growth will consist in
cutting back three-quarters Tor two
thirds of the previous years growth,
and thinning out where more than
two branches have grown on the main
branches. Sometimes, however, one
will be sufficient TO leave. If the fruit
be peaches, few of the small side
branches may be left after cutting off
about one-half their length, the OBJ
ject being to have some fruit the
first year.
The pruning for the following years
will depend very much on circun-
stances, but in general the leading
branches should be cut back from
one-half to three-fourths, especially
so with peaches. Not only cut back
the leaders, but cut back about one
half all small shoots. The object be-
ing to save largely in the process of
thinning the fruit 1t will be found
that in some varieties the fruit buds
are nearly all on the outer one-half,
in which case it will not do to take off
so much. In addition many of the lit
tie branches that bore fruit the pre-
vious year will be found dead and
should be removed.
The amount of thinning out of
larger branches and cutting back two
or three years of growth in some cases
will depend on the general thrift of
the tree, being governed always by
whatever will keep the tree in a
strong vigorous condition. Do not per-
nit tree to not have any new
growth. Such treatment with the
peach would prove fatal and make
an orchard short-lived, while by prop
er care peach trees have been known
TO be in good bearing at thirty years
of age. The peach, it must be remem-
bered, only bears on wood of the pre-
vious years growth.
Other fruits vary somewhat in their
method of bearing. The apricot bears
most of its fruit on short spurs on
the larger branches; these spurs may
make very short growths and con-
tlnue in bearing several years The
apple, pear plum, ETC., bear, or should
bear, largely on short spurs. There
is, however, tendency of many
fruits in this climate to bear at the
terminal bud of the previous years
growth. The Bartlett pear is one Of
the noted examples. If proper brun-
inor iS
tendency in such cases is to bear a
few specimens of fruit and the tree be
all broken down and deformed by the
weight of the fruit, where twice the
quantity of fruit might be borne on
the little spurs on the larger branch
es, and no breaking down result The
Winter Nelis pear being an example
of the class where nearly all the fruit
is borne on the spurs. Trees that
grow rapidly do not produce bearing
spurs at an early age, and are gener-
ally tardy coming into bearing The
growth of spurs should be encouraged /
in all fruits that produce their fruit |
in that way.
There is another still more import |
ant point in connection with the pro-
duction Of these spurs. and that is
that in time they become abundant. |
The tree oyer-bears, and no new |
growth results The fruit is small /
and the tree becomes short-lived. |
Whenever the spurs become so nu-
merous and so much fruit is produced /
that little or no new growth results 4
at least one-half of the spurs should /
be cut out as we'll as a number of |
branches bearing these spurs. The /
fruit-growers criterion should be
bright, healthy, vigorous trees, and
large. attractive fruit.
One point in regard to the pruning
If the peach ought to be stated. 1t
will be observed that branches coming
)ut on the side toward the interior of
he tree usually begins to fail after the
second year; they seem unhealthy and
should be taken out. y little observa
ion by the orchardist will suffice to
lote the result I should have said
hat when a strong branch starts on
he inside the old branch above the
light and left of a main sranch stand
/ good show of maintaining an equal
existence.
Thinning Fruit.
1 have also been requested to say
On the subject of thinning
'ruit. This is almost of equal import
lnce to pruning. 1t is almost impos-
ible to so prune a tree that no thin
ling is required, and at the same time I
get the amount of fruit that the tree
s capable of bearing. So then it be-
ONES a matter of dollars and cents,
md | might say right here that in
general if fruit is thinned. it is not
natter of cents, but dollars. There ;
re two general statements that might
'e made before proceeding worth con-
idering. AL stone fruit requires
more Of the trees energy to produce
he seed than the edible part of the s
ruit. "A fruit three inches in di-
meter is eight times as large as one
n inch and half in diameter. In
,ther words, fruit is eight times the
tZe of one-half the diameter. {
In my experience there is no single I
'peration in connection with fruit {
rowing Of more importance than thin !
ing. The past season, in order to
est the difference in expense of pre-
airing large and small peaches for
rying, l timed the cutting, and found
took double the time, hence double
he expense. which meant a difference
f about $500 per ton of dried fruit.
i'd TO this d difference of &c. per
ound IN price, makes $500 per ton. I
oppose en- orchard under good treat
lent produces a ton of peaches to the
ora then SS5 IN would r.ar,raco