Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-03-21
PRUNING THE ORCHARD.
It In Essential to Good Results, But
Should Be Done in Right Way
and at Right Time.

Many orchards look as though their
owners do not believe In pruning, or il
they do they do not put their belief into
practice. The best orchards, other
things being equal, are those that are
regularly and systematically pruned.
Il very heavy pruning. in long neglect
cd orchard may do some hard, but ju-
d1e1ous pruning done yearly from the
time the orchard is set till its days of
usefulness are over will do the Or
chard. good and prolong its days Of
usefulness.
Inc best time to prune an orchard,
says the writer in the Homestead, is
"nen the trees are dormant. In Sec
tlons where the winters are severe it
should not be done in early winter, for
rear the steady cold or extremely low
temperature may injure the trees where
wounded. In such sections early
spring, before there is the least flow
OF sap, Is a good time for pruning. We
have Just finished pruning our 12-year-
Old apple orchard, but shall not prune
our peach orchard. that was set out
last spring, for some weeks yet. II
any pruning is done when the trees
are fully leaved out no large branches
should be taken off.
do not use an ak for pruning an or
chard. All large branches should be
TAKEN on with a saw, and small ones
also may be thus removed. II one pre-
1ers to use a knife to remove small
branches it should be of good stuff
and always kept with a keen edge. II
shears or nippers are used have good
ones and keep them well sharpened.
Our experience with these tools is, one
Is more apt to have an uneven or
bruised cut than when a saw or good
knife Is used. Whether a saw or
knife Is used. always make a clean,
smooth cut, close to and parallel with
the portion of the tree from which the
branch Is taken, be it trunk or another
branch.
The prunings in early life Of the or
chard are made to give shape to the
trees, and before beginning the work
the style of the tree must be decided
upon. whether low-headed or high
headed. Several experiments along
this line show, generally speaking, that
Northumberland trees, three to three
and a half feet for main branches. arc
the best.
Pruning is done to keep the trees in
shape, to let in the sunlight, to protect
exposed portions and to keep out water
sprouts. Branches that are crowded
should be trimmed, judgment must be
used In deciding which one should be
taken out. The same is true Where
branches cross each other. Water
sprouts should be taken of. A good
rule to have in mind when In the or
chard with pruning saw and knife in
hand Is this: Never remove a branch
unless there is good reason for doing
so; never leave water sprout on a
tree unless there is some good reason
for leaving it. II the south side of
tree was all exposed and water
sprout started in such position as to
shade the bare limbs We would let it
remain until some branches grew Or
were trained to shade the exposed
parts.
Never take two large branches that
are opposite each other on the same
limb, off at the same pruning, and
under no ordinary circumstances take
off the second one at the next pruning,
that Is if the pruning is done annu-
ally" which is the best custom.
Branches that hang upon the ground
may as well come off. Branches should
be trained to grow upon the side of
the tree that faces the prevailing
winds. If there are no branches on
this side but what would be undesira-
Bile anywhere else, leave them there.
at least till more desirable ones grow
or others are trained to take their
or too defenseless, any more than too
dense.
All large wounds made in pruning
should be painted. I was going to say,
must be painted. We would not think
of taking off branch an inch In di-
ameter and leaving the wound unpaint-
ed. 1t Is better to paint all wounds.
The best time to do this is within "a
hours of the cutting. If only a few
trees are pruned it may be done as
soon as the work CT pruning Is fin
ished. If one has several days Of prun-
ing, and only one pair of hands to do
it with, the wounds made one day had
better be painted before the next days
pruning begins. !,
MAc0h DIV uotcrc1