The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-07-29
SUMMER PRUNING
IS ADVOCATED

Two years growth In young tree
can be secured the first year by the
use of the method of pruning advo-
Gated by j. M. Brown, former fruit
inspector of Yakima county, and en-
ployed by him on $1,000 trees, This
is possible, because, rnder the old
method, great part Of the first
years growth was pruned off and lost
to the tree.
According to the old method, after
the young tree was headed, three or
four branches we're allowed to grow
tor the rest OF the season and become
very long, In order that theil growth
might produce a stocky trunk. Then
they we're cut back to III inches the
following spring, so that great part
of the seasons growth was thlown
away,
BY the new method, the three or
four branches that spring up after
heading are nipped the same season
as soon an they have grown long
enough and commence to spread i'm
mediateIy. The growth that would
under the old method would be cut
of aud thrown away, is now directed
into spreading branches that are to
become permanent part OF the tree.
The result is that the tree Is just one
season ahead of where it would have
been under the old system.
Its trunk is just as stocky as 1t
would have been otherwise, and it is
not bent over SO much by the wind.
This idea IL chiefly applicable to
apple trees, as pear trees and certain
other varieties of trees can best be
allowed to grow wild,
The time for summer Is nearly past,
says MIR. Brown. lie prefers to have
his summer pruning out of the way
by July 10, or even before the close
of June. Summer pruning is for the
purpose of securing fruit growth and
not wood.
A. |. Mason, would put the time a
little later. He says that now is just
the proper pruning tiue.
81 am firm believer in summer
pruning" he says, "and have tol~
lowed it for many years. Instead OF
any Injurious effects get better re
suits both before aud sfter bearing
age. On young trees | get stronger
4 and better balanced top by keeping
undesired inside growth cut out dur
Ing the summer months and about
the middle of July, 1t limbs become
too long and Timber, | have always
topped young growth back to 10 or II
inches.
"On my old trees take out inside
growth about the middle of July, and
on some varieties, such as the Esopus
Spitzenberg, never top them only
during this July pruning. But on
old Spitzenberg trees lind that top
ping once every two years Is alt that
is necessary. | believe that summer
pruning, when done too early, has "a
tendency to strengthen fruit spurs for
the next seasons crop. | have done
some experimenting in summer prun.
ing, | tried 1t on the same aged trees
-four years. on the following dates
June 10, July 10 aud August 10.
"The first date was too early. The
sap was too strong and water sprouts
were extremely numerous The last
date was too late, HUT little growth
tel that date aud wood OF young
growth did not mature enough ia
stand cold winter. The second
date, July lE, suited me fine. But
little inside new growth was made,
! and wood matured fine. The young
shoots on ends of those limbs that
we're topped we're suot near so uumer-
: GUS as those which we're topped June
10. | don't believe In topping all
, varieties of apples after they are there
OF four years old, but the Spitzen-
berg requires 1t at least once every
two years, and always do ii in
July. - Wenatchee Advance.
Mrs. Nathan Evans returned Friday
| l..