The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-12-28
POINTERS ON PRUNING.


Yakima Valley has been blessed
being the predominant crop. I shall
confine myself mostly to these trees.
Looking over many orchards
throughout the valley one will notice
broken down trees, some even split
in two. one-half pointing to the
south. another to the north. There
is reason for these conditions we
want to consider. There is no ex-
cuse why trees should be broken
down. if careful work is done on
trees at pruning time.
Successful fruit growing depends
wholly on successful tree growing,
and successful tree growing depends
upon four essential elements: care.
cultivation. fertilization and pruning.
The question is often asked. what is
the proper time to prune. My an
swer is. when you see limb that
ought to be taken off. The old say
| ing, and it is a true saying, prune
when your knife is sharp holds good.
The fact of the matter is, pruning
done properly is not injurious to the
tree no matter in what month 1t is
done. You may prune with perfect
impunity whenever you choose pro-
vided the only object of your prun-
ing is the removal OF superfiuous
limbs. Som etimes. however. you
have some other object in view
which Is often the most important
object. Thus in the pursuance Of
these objects. the season has more
or less immediate influence. If you
want to thicken the foliage of a tree
to cause it to stool out and become
bushy, cut it back; this will bring
about a new head on your apple
the buds begin to swell. But on
the other hand. if you cut at the
time that the leaves attain their ma
urity having this object in view.
failure will be the results.
The training of a tree Is to bring
as many small permanent fruiting
branches called spurs into favorable
relation to light as possible, to pre-
serve the symmetry of the crown
but the ultimate purpose is to have
all the main limbs supporting as
many spurs on their several branches
as can be giv~n light and room. An
ideal apple tree would be so open
that when in full leaf the shadow
made by it's crown would be dotted
everywhere with sunshine, light and
shade alternating like the square on
checker board. Under such con-
dition the fruit spurs on the lower
inner branches would yield fruit uf
almost as nearly perfect color as
ha tnn of ~,
thus pruned will not break down
and will be money"maker to any
orchardist. An idea prevails to a
great extent that the proper time to
prune trees is in the spring. Now, If
you wish to encourage the growth
of the sucker and water sprouts and
the little twigs of that particular
season growth, or if you wish to en-
courage the development of adven-
titious buds and are foolish enough
TO depend upon the pruning knife
alone to assist you, then prune when
the leaf buds / egin to swell. The
time to prune is now, as your tree
will give you fruit spurs in return
and not leave buds. 1t is impossible
to tel you how to prune any indi-
'ANN'Ni wv NJ NWO lISGS are alike,
therefore do not require the same
treatment ! can only give you gen.
eral directions and 1 want to say
to you. prune your tree in SYMMETRY
cal shape. If you do not know how
yourself, get some one who does
know how Avoid the fellow who
comes into the valley for a few
week cuts up your trees and then
leaves you to mourn.
Remember:
Don't allow any one to top your
trees unless it be for top grating.
Don't allow forks in your trees;
it will split the tree when 1t comes
into bearing.
Don't cut large limbs If you can
help it; sometimes this is necessary;
then cut close to the tree (trunk)
so cut may heal.
Don't leave dead ends stick up;
the closer you cut to the limb of
the trunk the more readily it will
heal.
If you cut your limbs three or four
Inches from the trunk or main
branch and at right angles to the
limb, you can get along faster and
do a great deal more work than If
'you do your work properly, but the