People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1899-03-03
THE TREATMENT OF
WlNTER-INJURED TREES

injured the fruit trees In many sec
tons OF The state. The peach, april
cot and japanese plum have suffered
most. ln cur orchards Of 81 varieties
OF peach, The trees OF Is varieties al.
pear to be entirely ruined. Twenty
one varieties are killed back to main
branches or trunk, in many cases OF
which the whole tree will eventually
Ole from the injury: four varieties are
Injured TO less extent but not neces
5arily ve'y seriously. The varieties
showing least injury are Mountain
Rose, liberia, and two seedlings O,
our own propagation. All the japan
ese plums examined 10 our own and
a1jaceDt orchards show serious injury,
also all the apricOts, while a slighter
injury is to be noted on the European
aod American types Of plum, the
cherries and the pears. Our mini.
mum thermometer located in the
peach orchard has registered below
zero as follows: January 30, 80:
January 81, loo; February 4, 80
February 5, SO February 6, go;
February I, -lli0; February s, 10,
February 9, -l7i0; February 100;
February IL, -2l0; February IL, -32to
February l3, -2l0.
Reports indicate that in but few
portions of the state the temperature
fell as low as 10 this section, so it is
probable that in the greater part OF
OF the state the fruit industry has no;
received such blow as it has here.
Where trees are merely injured, the
real damage done TO the orchards will
depend greatly upon the treatment
given them from this time. Trees
that are killed should be removed al
once from the orchard. If they Can
be used for fre-wOod well and good
II not they should be piled and burned
TO destroy any insects or disease that
may infest them. Trees that are
partly top killed are weakened and
deadened throughout, and should be
heavily cut back, the extent depend
ing upon the degree of injury. In
many cases 1t will be necessary to cut
back the main branches or even Il
the trunk, but where the injury |,
less severe the cutting may be cen
fined to the smaller branches of th,
tree. Though the branches of an 10
lured tree may not be killed, it i,
advantageous to cut them back, be.
cause the wool that is Drowned anC
deadened can never perform its liz,
functions again. 1t becomes as hear
wood and must be enclosed by a layer
OF new wood. The quicker we can gel
this deposit of new wood the better
and The more of it the better. By
cutting of the branches OF the tree
II is reduced 10 surface and the new
wood is more rapidly deposited on thu
parts thatEemain. The energy tha
is spent in bloSsOming is also saved t
the tree by the severe pruning. IL i,
necessary to prevent the vitality o.
the tree from dissipating itself in any
way, and to husband and apply it 81
as to restore the tree quickly to it.
normal process Of growth.
Professor Bailey, Cornell university
says upon this subject: "The proper
treatment for frozen-back trees must
be determined for each particular
case; but it should be borne in MIND
that the injured portion is no longer
OF use to the plant, whereas it may
be positive detriment by accelerat.
Ing the evaporation of moisture. The
best treatment for plants seriously in.
jured upon the extremities is to cut
them back heavily"
Trees treated in this way will rap.
idly regain their yigor unless the in.
jury is very serious. They will also
quickly resume their normal habit Of
growth and shape. Cutting back the
last years growth in the winter is es-
pecially beneficial to the peac.,
whether it has been injured by cold on
not, as It's branches tend to grow long
and slender, and in bearing fruit near
the extremities they break and split
and are ruined. Where blackberries
and raspberries have been killed back
to the ground, the canes should be cut
out and burned.
A difference 10 opinion exists as to
the best time for cutting back injured
trees; some growers prefer TO have the
work done before the leaves open, 9TH
ers choose a later time; but the safest
way is to do it early. As soon as the
degree Of injury is known, therefore,
we may wisely begin the pruning. II
left till later time, other work may
crowd it out entirely, with the result
that the orchard is lost. A saw and
trees pruners are the tools TO be used.
1t will be beneficial TO carry aloLg a