The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-07-27
ATT or PRUNING FRUIT TREES.
Brancfcs Should Not Be Turned Out
Too Much--Young Trees tho Best

or l-ombardy poplar or a weeping
willow or any intermediate form, IL
you begin when the tree is small and
prune Whenever necessary until your
object is attained says a writer In the
American Cultiva or. You cannot do
ii with an old tree, and you cannot
do II by going at the tree once In 10
or II years with an ak and hand saw.
A tree that is allowed its own way
for a number of years assumes form
| of its own, which yoa can modify but
which YOU cannot materially change
Don't buy large trees. iol gain little
| II anything. The check to the growth
of large tree will offset any adyan-
tage in size, and they are more diff
! cult to manage. Buy small trees and
train them according TO your fancy,
Examine the growth of the present
year. Notice the leaves which encircle
it, each seeming to point in a different
| direction In the inner angle OF each
leaf stalk there is a little bud. Cut
OFF the twig just above bud. and that
little bud will develop into limb
! that will point in the same direction
that the leaf pointed This is the key
to the whole secret of shaping a tree.
| Watch your trees and prnne th6m
! often. 1t costs less to prune a tree
| four times IN one year than 10 prune
once in four years, and your trees will
| be UNNECESSARILY better off prune
moderately, Do not go TO extremes
| In thinning the heads OF your trees
| 1t is true that the heads OF your trees
! may be too thick and bushy To produce
| the most profitable crop of apples.
But It equally true that they may be
| too thin. Cut out all water sprouts,
weak and disgraceful branches. and
| when branches rub against each other
| or cross, each other cut one OF them.
| But do not prune until you can taow
| bushel basket through your trees.
! A tree cannot produce fruit, except
| in limited quantities. If its main
| branches are pruned to bare poles.
| Leave plenty OF branches, and If nee
| eSsary thin the fruit Instead OF cutting
| OFF the limbs which bear the fruit.
Too much stress is OFTEN laid upon
the value of pruning. Cultivation
| and fertilization are Of much import
ance. Prune to shape your trees and
| to remove undesirable branches. Prune
| whenever you see limb that ought to
| be removed. Do not wait for some
particular season through fear of in
| juring the trees. One season has no
advantage over another, and any So
called advantage is merely theoretical
and so small in comparison with the
health and yigor of the tree that it
is not worth noticing. There Is, how
| ewes one important exception. A tree
will develop its dormant buds with
much more freedom IL 1t Is pruned in
the spring. Therefore when heading
back is practiced better results will
follow ii the tree is pruned just before
the leaf buds begin to swell. Pruning
in certain seasons has more or less
influence in securing great variety
of results But this cannot apply to
tree that is kept in proper trim by
an annual pruning And In the case
OF overgrown trees, the influence is 50
slight in comparison with the infu-
ence of special fertilization that ii is
better TO pay no attention to IL. but to
rely upon special cultiyating and spec
ial fertilizing to get special results.
When pruning an overgrOwn and
unkempt old tree 1t Is sometimes nee
essary to remove large branches. But
do not remove them unless 1t is nee
essay. Often when main branch
hangs too low it may be remedied by
cutting of the limbs which hang from
its lower side. BE careful to cut close
TO the main branch. You can never
cut close enough with the shears aud
seldom with saw. Use a chisel and
cut clean and close and parallel with
the main branch. II you cut two or
three inches from the main branch,
and at right angles to the limb, yoa
can probably do 10 times as much
work as you you can do II you prune
properly but the wounds will be very
slow in healing and many of them
cay instead and weaken the main
branch Thousands OF fine trees have.
been ruined by neglecting to prune
close to the main branch. Be sure
and paint the stumps of all large
limbs. Painting does not assist In
healing the wound but 1t prevents de-
cay of the stump. Use any cheap
paint but see to It that It does Dos
wash of pr become absorbed. Il is
better to Use paint OF the same color
as the bark of the tree
Above all prune to handsome SYM
metrical form. Select the type or
form of head that you prefer or that
You believe to be best adapted to
your surroundings and prune to that
type. If you get tree that will not
respond to your pruning, dig it up and
try again. But make your orchard q
place OF beauty.
One OF thu greatest essentials nj