The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-25
Effects Of PRUNING.

IL is astonishing sometimes 10 nnu
how little the average orchardist
thinks of the actual problems at issue
with pruning OF his trees. An import
ant effect of pruning is to increase
Vigor. Pruning IS also practiced to
produce larger and better fruits and
flowers; to keep the plant within man
ageable limits; to remove superluous
or injurious parts; to facilitate spray
ing, tillage and harvesting; to train
the plant to some desired form.
One OF the noticeable effects of
severe pruning and the consequent
disturbed equilibrium Of the plant
is the formation Of water sprouts. The
appearance of the water sprouts seems
to be influenced more by the vigor of
The plant and the amount OF pruning
than by the season OF the year in
which the pruning Is done. 1t is prob
able, however, tina. fewer water
sprouts will arise if pruning IS done
AFTER midsummer, since at that time
the growth OF the season Is completed.
In any case water sprouts may be re-
sarded as weeds in the tree top and
should be treated as such. The tend
ency OF plants is to grow from the up.
permost buds. BY pruning in n way
this tendency is augmented, in another
it is checked.
AS a rule, in dealing with fruit trees,
he latter end Is desired, since the
principle that checking growth induces
fruit fullness is universally recog-
nized. The heading in of young
%rowths tends to develop lateral and
dormant buds or to thicken the top.
So that the question of heading re.
solves itself into a question Of per-
sonal ideals; to secure a thick topped
tree it is necessary. 1t has, however,
the further very marked advantage of
inducing the development Of fruit buds
near the body OF the tree rather than
far out on the limbs. This in the case
OF plumS and tender wooded plants
is an important consideration.-Prof.
W. N. Munson.
State Interest in Forestry.
There is no doubt that our states
can we'll afford to take a greater in.
terest in forestry. J.. II. Bissell OF
Michigan, a student of forestry con
d~itions, urges that land laws be SC
changed that the state can acquire
all pine stump lands, and hat no for.
estry lands shall be sold except to
actual settlers. He says that there
are vast stretches of land In Michigan
that the state should reclaim and re,
plant. These lands were previously
covered with forests, were cut over
and were afterwards burned over
Without a systematic planting by
man, this land will be ages in recloth,
ing itself with a tree growth. The
writer heard an official in Wisconsin
say that it was a practice there amona
the lumbermen to cut over a piece OF
land and afterwards refuse TO pay
taxes upon it. There were no buyers
for the land when the tax sales took
place, and so the land Would revert tc
the state, where it would remain unit.
a new growth Of sufficient size to be
valuable commercially appeared on it
Then they would buy it back from
the state at a less price than the taxes
would have been. There seems to be
no reason why the states should be
made a party to this kind OF a game
The Forest Question in Italy.
The Italian nation long ago passed
laws regulating the forestry of the
country. In 1877, by permission OF The
legislators, about 1000. 600 acres of for
est were withdrawn from the operation
of the forest laws in Italy, and abou
1,000,0 900 acres more in Sicily and Sar
DINA. AS might have been foreseen
there has since that time been a reck
less destruction of forests, and it now
seems evident that the government,
must again step in and pass laws tC
save the forests still remaining, ant
to secure the r%eplanting Of the cut
! over areas.