Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1910-02-19
ART OF PRUNING VINES AND TREES
Tine to Put tie Vineyards and Orchards
in ShaDe for Good Work


il In pruRing grapes it must be remem.
bered that the fruit grows on the new
wood Of the present seasons growth,
which springs from wood grown the pre-
ceding season, and never on last years
wood. The fruit is borne near the base
of the shoots. Each shoot should bear
from two to six clusters; but only limited
number Of clusters, from 30 to so. should
be allowed to develop on single vine.
This is good time to prune.
Should the vine be strong enough to
bear 80 clusters Of grapes, about Is buds
should be left at pruning time. or 40 buds
if the vine is strong enough to bear 80
clusters. The essential operation in prun.
ing grapes is to cut back limited mum.
Der of the best canes to few buds each
season, entirely removing the others. The
more usual method is TO cut the canes
back to eight or ten buds, and to leave
but three or four canes, all of which
should start from near the head or trunk
of the vine. New arms should be taken
out from year to year, as the bearing
wood gets farther away from the trunk.
1t is best to prime black berries in the
fall, but it may be done now. Usually
only five or six canes from each root
should be allowed to grow, the others
being pulled out while they are still small.
When the canes are q to 8 feet high the
tips should be cut or pinched back two
or three inches. This checks upward
growth and many lateraIs push out. These
latersls bear the fruit the following sea.
son.
Pruning Nature Fruit Trees
Moderate annual pruning of the apple
tree is always to be preferred to heavy
pruning at irregular intervals Heavy
prunings have tendency to upset reg.
ular bearing habit and are apt to bring
on an off year. However, if it should
become necessary TO employ drastic
measures in pruning the neglected orch
ard there should be no hesitation in do.
ing it but the mistake must not be made
in selecting an "off.year" in which to do
the heavy pruning.
The growth of the tree, and, necessar.
lily, the pruning, depends considerably
upon the soil conditions, and it would
hardly be safe to lay down definite rules
for the pruning of any particular variety.
Varieties that bloom heavily, but set
very few fruits, should be treated as vari-
eties that overbear; prune them heavily
during the dormant season. Varieties
that refuse to develop fruit buds should
not be pruned excessively during the
dormant season at least.
The general plan of:pruning the apricot
will resemble that followed in pruning
the peach, although, as a rule, it should
be hardly as severe. The young tree is a
strong grower, and must be put through
about the same course of training as the
young peach. This strengthens or stiff
fens the framework and develops broad,
lowheaded tree. The pruning should be
sufficient to keep the fruiting work grow.
ing thriftily and the tree well within
bounds. As the tree grows older it will
need more severe pruning to force new
fruitiDg wood in the centre. The top
should be well spread, and the fruiting
area of the head maintained near tbe
ground.
It is common impression among fruit
growers that the mature cherry tree needs
no pruning. This belief is probably due
to the fact that there is no fruit tree of
which it may be said that nature is
more efficient pruner. Bus, nevertheless,
pruning will be found expedient when
fancy article is desired. The fruit is borne
on one.year-old wood, and mostly on
short growths or spurs. Fruit buds are
also found as auxiliary buds near the
base of the stronger growing new wood.
Consequently, the tree will then, owing
to its fruiting habit, stand only moder-
ate pruning. Ogerpruned trees will pro-
duce an excess Of strong, new wood, with
few fruit buds. In neglected trees the
spurs become week and spindling from
constant bearing; the flowers are borne
singly in the buds, when they should be
in pairs or tripIets, and the tree produces
a large number of medium-sized fruits. =
Peach, Pear and Plum Trees
It is said that there is no fruit tree that
gives the careful, observing pruneF laese
satisfaction than does the peach.
fruit tree will suffer more from neelsel,
or respond more quickly to careful treat
ment. The object should be to cut ont
enough wood to force good, strong growth
each year; to remove superhuous fruiting
wood and to give the tree the desired
shape. The mature peach tree should
make an annual growth Of at least is
inches. With such new growth much6i
the new wood will have to be removed
entirely, while that remaining may Re
cut back to remove part Of the ffnit
buds it carries.
The mature pear tree is not one that
requires great deal OF pruning, nor does
it allow lack Of pruning to Interfere sefi-
ously with it's proper behavior, so far as
fruit bearing is concerned. However, for
a fancy pear the owner Of the old pear
orchard is often reminded that the tfses
need pruning.
Some growers believe that the pear tree
will not STAND pruning, but, nevertheless,
there is no variety to which moderate
pruning is detrimental, and there are
varieties where severe pruning Il neeeas
sary. The practice Of the most snecessfnl
growers ia to cut the tres back each year
and remove some Of the new wood t1as
may have bean forced by the last pruning.
It is difficult to say just how much the
pear should be pruned; the gfower viii
have to decide that for himself. The main
object should be to thin the fruiE and i'm
prove the quality, as well 10 10 sncounAae
more regular bearing,
The body Of the plum tree is anbiees 60
A.