The Elbert County tribune., 1906-06-07
PRUNING TREES.

Many inquiries are made regarding
the proper time for pruning trees or
shrubs. both ornamental and fruiting.
1t is impossible to answer except in
general way, as the individuals to be
treated must be each one considered.
Where considerable pruning is to be
done, the need for practical man with
plenty of experience and knowledge of
ali kinds of trees is evident. In the case
of fruit trees, 1t may be necessary to
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. careful painting of the
wounds, however, makes 1t safe earlier.
Should the growth of the trees be too
struggling, they should be pruned light
ly during early summer, while the sap
is active and growth is being made. At
the same time It will encourage the pro-
duction of fruit buds, which are set on
short spurs. AS regards the ornamen-
tai trees, the same rule will apply to
the thinning out of branches; the weak
er ones are, of course, to be removed,
allowing the strong ones to remain. If
they are to be put into shape, possibly
little pruning in winter and a little
more in May or June, when growth is re-
snmed, would bring about the desired
fssults. The Towering and shrubs must
e pruned according to their respective
characters. If it is desirable to retain
towering buds for the first season,
most early blooming plants should not
be pruned very much until after they
have bloomed, as the Towering buds are
formed the season previous. OF course,
a thinning out will do not harm in this
respect, and will give much more
strength to the remaining branches.
Ono correspondent asks if the end of
Mssch 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 understand
ing of the results that would follow. 1t
is practicable to remove the larger low
er limbs from trees at any season of the
year. There might be an exception to
removing them in the summer time,
provided the number of branches re-
moved is in excess of those remaining.
This would tend to weaken the trees
very greatly. The most favorable time.
for doing such work is in the winter
If left until nearly spring or early sum
mer the wounds will heal more readily,
as while the sap is in motion new bark
is made at once. In any event 1t is de-
sirable to paint the wounds with thick
ordinary paint or something that will
keep out the air and moisture until the
new growth of wood covers the wound.
Much error is diffused by the use OF
improper terms. work on forestry,
before the writer, referring to attach
ment of labels or guards to trees, re-
marks that "it 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 the seashore, but not by ex-
pansion of the waters. In like manner
the new wood of trees flows over the
older woodruff this is not expansion
If the wire attachment to label be
loosely over horizontal branch, and
yet so firmly that it will not be dis
turbed by the wind. the wire will be
covered by the new growth, though
there be plenty of room in the wire loop
for expansion.