The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-05-08
PRUNING TREES AT
PLANTING TIME

At this date it is likely that mos
of the orchard trees have e plant
ed. However, there are some that are
not, and many others which have beeI
planted without attention having beer
given to this important phase of or
chard management, Sc a note in re
gard to this subject, even though late
should be of interest.
The failure to properly prune roots
and tops at planting time influences
the value of the future h to a
very great extent, and, in many in,
stances, large numbers of young trees
fail to live through the first season
for the simple reaSon that the trees
were not properly started.
If one stops to think, ne realizes
that when a tree is taken from the
nursery row, a large portion of the
root system is left in the ground. The
balance between the roots inc the top
is thus destroyed, and obviously a
part of the top should be removed.
Practically all the elements which
nourish a tree, are taken from the
soil by the roots in liquid form. This
material is carried in HI cell sap to
the leaves where h crude food mater
ial is changed by the influence of the
sunlight and the green substance of
the leaves to a form that a be
readily assimilated by h plant. This
will illustrate, briefly, how important
the roots are 20 a plant. Much of
this elaborate food may be stored in
the cells to be drawn upon at any
time that the roots fail to supply the
requisite amount. Buds swell and
burst forth into leaves in the spring
entirely independent of DOT action.
Now, wnen young trees are planted,
IA considerable period must elapse
before there are any feeding roots
formed. Hence, the pushing forth of
buds is entirely at the expense of the
food which has been stored within h
issues of the plant. If there is a
large, overgrowl top, as it is quite
often the case, this stored foo and
the moisture may easily be exhausted
before any more can be supplied by
the roots. 1t is therefore, little won
der that many trees are seriously
dwarfed nj otherwise injured, and
still many others die from failure to
cut back he tops.
The roots should be pruned first,
all long struggling roots headed in
and all broker ends cut off smooth
with a sharp knife or shears. If a
large number of fine roots are present
they usually become matted and many
VI lu0m Will uIS, WucA LA0y DOCOHIS
a menace to the plant. 1t is therefore
well to thin out such growths. Then,
when the tree is planted, a little
deeper than it grew in the nursery
row, the top needs attention.
By all means plant ,yearling trees
of all kinds of fruit. With such trees
very few branches are formed, hence,
it is possible to form the lead at any
height. Take the case of yearfing
apple trees, for instance, which will
be a mere whip. This should be head
ed back 10 a height of Is to "a inches
above where it is desired that the first
branch from the ground should be
formed. But in the case of two-year
old trees, the branches which are to
form the head are already on the
trees, SO all that can be done is to
select from three to five of the mes
that are most adva1tageously placed
around the stem 50 as 10 form a SYM
metrical head. These then should be
pruned back to fourteen inches in
length, and all Others cItt away.
w. PADDOCK