The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-28

Many Inquiries are made regarding the
proper time for pruning trees or shrubs,
both ornamental and fruiting 1t is i'm
possible 40 answer except in a general
way. as the individuals to be treated must
be each one considered, says Meehans
Monthly. Where considerable pruning is
to be done, the need for practical man
with plenty of experience and a knowledge
of all kinds of trees is evident. In the
case of fruit trees, it may be necessary
20 thin out the branches to permit the
free circulation of air and light-very es-
sential things to strong, healthy growth.
Such pruning is done in the winter. any
time after the leaves have fallen, though
wounds will probably heal with greater
ease If made toward spring. A careful
painting OF the wounds, however, makes
it safe earlier. Should the growth of the
tree be too struggling, they should be
pruned lightly during early summer
while the sap is active and growth is be-
ing made. AT the same time il will en-
courage the production of fruit buds,
which are set on short spurs. AS regards
the ornamental trees, the same rule will
apply to the thinning out of branches; the
weaker ones are, of course, 20 be removed
allowing the strong ones to remain. If
they are to be put into shape possibly a
little pruning, in winter and a little more
in May or June when growth is resumed,
would bring about the desired results
The Towering trees and shrubs must be
pruned according to their respective char
acters. If it is desired to retain Towering
buds for the first season, most early
blooming plants should not be pruned very
much until after they have blossomed,
as the Towering buds are formed the sea-
son previous. OF course, thinning out
will do no harm in this respect, and will
give much more strength to the re-
naming branches. Our correspondent
asks if the end of March is too late to
prune apple trees in Northern New York.
Following the above principles it would
not be-in fact, one could prune in any
month if it is done judiciously with an
understanding of the results that would
follow. If it is practicable to remove the
larger lower limbs from trees at any sea-
son of the year. There might be an ex-
ception to removing them in the summer
time, provided the number of branches
removed is in excess of those remaining.
This would tend to weaken the trees very
greatly. The most favorable time for do
ing such work is in the winter. If left
until early spring or cary summer the
wounds will heal more readily as while
the sap is in motion new bark is made at
once. In any event it is desirable to paint
the wounds with thick ordinary paint or
something that will keep Qua the air and
moisture until the new growth of wood
covers the wound. Much error is diff
| fused by the use of improper terms. A
work on forestry, before the writer re-
ferring to attachment of labels or guards
to trees, remarks that sit should be by
copper wire which stretches as the tree
expands" But there is no expansion of
tree in a physical sense. A wave flows
over the sand by che sea shore, but not
| by expansion of the waters. In like man.
! ner the new wood of trees flows over the
older woodruff this is not expansion.
If the wire attachment to a Label be loose
~ over a horizontal branch, and yet SO
| firmly that it will not be disturbed by the
wind. the wire will be covered by the new
growth, though there be plenty of room
in the wire loop for expansion.