Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-08
THIN WITH A HEAVY HAND.
Too Much Fruit on a Tree Means
Small Size and Poor Quality.

|
Small Size and Poor Quality.
the peaches are to be of good
| size and quality, thinning must be
resorted to, and vigorously at that.
Do not be afraid to rub off the small
fruit as soon as it appears. Go over
the trees a second time if necessary.
Thinning tests made at the expert
ment station indicate that much more
severe thinning could be done with
good results than is usually practiced.
eight to ten inches being none too
great distance between the fruits
] In the future the thinning of plums
will follow closely upon that OF
peaches. AT the experiment station
one tree each of a number of vari-
cites OF plumss were thinned with a
view of determining the value of thin
ming to help control brown rot, as
we'll as to get finer and larger fruit.
AS near as was possible, the fruits
were th1nned so that no two plums
would touch when fully matured. The
fruit did not rot as bad and was much
larger on trees thinned than on trees
not Trimmed; also the trees did not
break down where thinned
In summing up this question, the
important points to be noted are: BY
1udicious system of pruning and
thinning, the fruit grower is far more
sure of an average crop of fine fruit
every year, instead of having a heavy
crop of inferior fruit that will break
the trees down and injure the or
chard at intervals of from two to five
years. The fruit is much larger and
finer under this system and it would
be we'll to remember that at all times
4 1T is the large fancy fruit that brings
the big prices, and that is what we
are working for.
| Value of Summer Pruning.
Experiments made by the horticul-
tural department of the Kansas ex-
pertinent station during the past four
years show that the pruning Of fruit
shade and timber trees during the
early summer and late spring is more
satisfactory and secures better results
than pruning done during the dor.
mant season-winter and early spring
Wounds made before the middle OF
July have healed rather more quickly
than have those made at later date
put wounds made as late as August
/ 18TH have healed very successfully
The danger of loss of sap is less after
the tree is we'll in leaf than from
wounds made during winter and
spring. This difference is more no.
ticeable In the naples, elms and null.
berry than with other species under
observation.
In extensive tests made on an apple
orchard some very satisfactory result.
have been secured with ten-year-olt
trees which had borne but little and
showed but few fruit spurs. Tree.
pruned in the summer of 1902-th,
pruning consisting Of cutting back new
wood and thinning out where heavy
growth shaded the two and three-year.
old woodland a similar but lighter
pruning given in the summer Of 1903
were full of bloom in 1905 and are
carving a very fair crop of fruit.
Trees pruned in summer have
grown fewer water sprouts, thar
those of similar age and growth ii
a similar soil, pruned in winter OF
early spring. Water sprouts removed
during summer are less liable to b.
followed by another crop Of the sam.
growth than where the pruning Ii
done in winter.
The operator is less likely to re
move large amount OF wood, for HI
can readily see the danger of sun
scald where too many or too larg,
branches are removed. The thinning
out and cutting back of the younger
branches should be all that is required
when the orchard has had reason
able amount Of care given to it's form
alton, and this light pruning given ii
early summer seems to be good treat
men for unproductive trees.-Alber
Dickens, Kansas State College.