The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-25
Tree Pruning.
BY G. NEWTON.
Read at the Allen County horticultural Society
February II, 1893.

! head at the Allen County horticultural Society
February IL. 1898
Mrs. President and newly elected
and reelected officers OF this Associa.
ton: l wish to congratulate you, in
your high position, of this grand or.
ganization you are elected for and
about to fill, aud hope you may work
for the very best interests of the A lien
County horticultural Society.
Mrs. Chairman, Badie1 and Gentle
men; L am called upon to prepare an
essay to be read at this February
meeting, and 1 must say at the very
beginning that am not a composer
OF essays, and therefore do not wish
to make any excuses, which are so
frequently made at the opening of al
most every Grafton delivered by our
very best speakers that we have i'm
our country. The subject / wish to
treat upon at this tsme is fruit tree
pruning, and some of my views of the
same as well as referring to some ex-
tracts from Samuel b. Hedges, of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture, as far as / think he has given
my views in the matter. / will now
commence as the very beginning from
an extract which says:
Pruning fruit trees is the most del
icate and important operation that the
iruit grower performs. Budding and
grating are mere routine functions
compared with scientific pruning, re-
curing merely practical knowledge
OF how to perform the operation i'm ac-
cordance with established rules. q me-
cnanlcal EXPERIENCES so as to produce
certain definite results, and IL must be
dOne In practical manner But
pruning requires the exercise of good
Judgment, as well as skill, and it is
necessary for the operator to possess
an intimate knowledge as to what
limbs are essential to the perfect de-
velOpment of the tree and those that
are superiluous. AS this article is not
intended for the guidance of the ex-
perienced primer, but for those seek
ing Information, these few sugge g.
tions are offered:
First-TraIn the tree so that ONLY
dead or injured limbs may be removed
in future years.
Second-Use the pruning knife in
shaping the tree while young, and
thus save the use of the saw.
Third-PruDe weak growth i'm the
winter.
Fourth-Prune strong growth in the
summer.
Fifth-Never fail to protect every
wound from the influence of the
weather by some means of a suitable
material to cover the wounds like soft |
grating wax.
Study your tree thoroughly before |
you prune. An AK or Ratchet should !
never he used in pruning, as the |
wound will not be as smooth as can be
made with fine tooth saw. 1t is very |
essential that the head of the tree |
should be opened to the sunlight in |
order that the fruit may be perfectly
colored and Of fine flavor. All limbs
that cross each other, which by their |
motion would mar the bark, should |
be removed. Summer pruning is a
weakening process in the growth of |
the tree.
AS l have finished with extracts
from Mr.. Hedges ideas, l will now
add this; "How to Reclaim an Old
Orchard" by pruning and otherwise.
l have changed my location several
times and have come in possession of
an old orchard that was very much
out Of order and needed a great deal of
work done to bring it into bearing.
In the first place they need to be
pruned thoroughly, so as to thin out
the tops and let in the light and air.
They were too thick, and there is .
where man can use his Judgment to |
very good advantage. My plan is not |
to cut out large limbs, unless it is very
necessary to let in the sunlight, or if
the limbs cross each other so as to rub |
together, and If you cut Off large
limb, cut it off about two feet from the
body of the tree land let it fall to the
ground,) then saw it off again at the
body of the tree, to prevent the injury
by splitting down the bark, always
cutting with a fine tooth saw. Cover
the wound with soft wax until it heals
over Never use paint on tree for a
cut or a bruise, no more than Won
would on fresh wound or cut, for
paint is poison to Vegetation as we'll as
to the flesh Of person, and will him
der either from healing.
Now, in an old orchard, every dead
limb should be taken out, then thin
out all thick places and keep the
water sprouts penned out, cutting Off
all the unhealthy branches, and If a
wind stora breaks off limb cut it Off
80 as not to have any split in the
wound. If possible, keep down all
sprouts that may come up from the
roots, trim up the limbs so as to get as
close as possible under the tree with
The team and pillow up the ground and
lultiVAte IL Oftan and ~ x,o,, h.,,l . |