Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-12-31
PRUNING TIPS
BY PROF. COLE
''Opef Training of Young Trees and
'p"r'"s Fruit Buds Is Strongly
Emphasized.

ana was greeted with an audience
winch completely filled the room
rroi. Cole began with the statement
'na' successful orchardist must
nave some knowledge of the anatomy
of tree.
is necessary that the grower
should know something of the metb-
Gus which the tree adopts in reach
ing height and diameter, as we'll as
III producing fruit" said the speaker.
Ihere are two buds. One pro-
auces wood and the other produces
lrult' On an apple tree the fruit
ouuS appear on all limbs over an
men In diameter, but always at the
ehu OF a fruit spur, which appear af-
Ter the tree is 2 years old. The
spurs are small and very crooked
and many pruners take them off nm
der the belief that their existence
spoils the looks of a tree.
Pear trees have all the charac-
'erlstlcs of the apple tree and the
irult spurs set in a similar manner
10 Interfere with these spurs is
suicidal. The buds are to be found
on the fruit spurs, but NAV be re-
cognized by being round and soft
The wood buds are small and flat
with sharp points and are placed by
nature along the bark of the trees
Pruning is the most essential
thlng in the life and usefulness of
the fruit tree. Do away with the AK
IN your tool kit and provide a prun-
ing knife, a pair of 1O-inch shears
pair of S-foot pruning shears, a
saw and bucket of paint and a
brush, Any kind of paint will do,
so long as it is a mixture of white
lead. Even the skins which line old
paint barrels and kegs can be uti-
| lized.
Pruning is done to keep the tree
alive, in shape and within reach. as
the expense of handling fruit crop
is in the use of step ladders to reach
1t. The best pruners do the work
both in the summer and winter sea-
sons. Summer pruning produces
frult and winter pruning produces
wood. Summer pruning should com
mence as soon after July 10 as pos
sible, while the terminal buds are
alive and the sap is running. The
plan should be to cut back the twigs
and branches which are making too
strong a growth. That makes fruit
spur
Never make a heavy pruning in
the tops of the trees, because the
result is sure to be found in heavy
growth of water sprouts. If heavy
cut is made in the tops, there must
be a corresponding root pruning.
which is impracticable. As tree
grows 1t puts out root system to (
correspond with its top, and If the
latter is cut back the sap which is
taken up by the roots must be utllz-
ed somewhere, and it causes a growth
which is undesirable.
I'm winter prune anytime after
the leaves are off the trees, but the
best time is February |, because
thereafter only a short period will
elapse before the sap starts and the
wounds begin to heal and the tree
puts on its wood growth. In winter
cut out the cross growing branches.
the water sprouts, broken limbs, and
head back the upright growing limbs
so as to keep the tree flat
"In cutting off branch use a saw
Make the first cut about -four inches
from the body Of the tree, and on
the under side Of the limb Next
make a cut on the top Of the limb
and one inch nearer the tree The
limb will fall and not split the bark
Then cut off the stub Of the limb as
close TO the tree as the saw will
work, and at once paint the wound.
Where the stubs are left they gather
bacteria, become diseased and rot
out seriously damaging the tree, II
It shall not be ultimately ruined,
Tree surgery Is branch Of sue
cessful pruning which can hardly be
covered In a short lecture, but the
palnt is the first aid TO the injured.
As the wounds heal, they must be
watched and II for any reason the
flow Of sap Is shut Off, the grower
must use his pruning knife to open
A seam around the place through
which the fluid may find a way to do
Its work n the grower prunes his
trees conscIentlously during the first
years he will have little trouble
orchards. young and old. must be
cultivated Plow. disk and roll 50
hat a mulch may be created under
which the moisture will be held
!, the Willamette valley there IL no
p" ,t-... .. ,rchard