The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-01-13

rule. Until the young orchard
reaches bearing age dc severe prun-
ing in the month Of March, for the
purpose of shaping the tree and slim
ulating wood growth. Thereafter,
prune sparingly in winter, leaving
the major portion of the pruning to
be done between the 18th of July and
the 18th of August This pruning,
however, should be supplemented By
considerable pinching at intervals
between June / and July l.. In &C
tual practice I find that, if during
the second, third. fourth and fifth
years from planting the tree is prop
erly pruned and trained. the energy
OF the tree thereafter will be largely
expended in the production of valu-
able fruit instead of worthless wood
Another factor that / find of consid-
cradle importance in this connection
is the proper thinning of the fruit;
practice that if intelligenty ap-
piled in connection with summer
pruning and proper cultivation will
cause the tree to produce a fair crop
of fruit annually instead Of a big
crop one year and nothing the next.
II find that sprouts starting from
the main branches will ordinarily
cfop orouyip0 if tho apd ;c r;pohod ~
clipped off when they are three to
six inches long. If, however, they
start to grow again, pinch them a
second time and that will discourage
the effort to go on making wood, and
in one or two years they will devel-
op a nice cluster of fruit buds in the
place where they are the most val
liable. Where such sprouts have been
overlooked in the June pinching, then
at the July or August pruning cut
them back to six inches, never close
up to the parent stem. The modifi-
cation of this rule would be, if two
or more sprouts start from the same
place then pinch or cut the strongest
one to a six-inch stub and cut out
the others close up
avoid long, bare branches, Sc
curing as far as practical an even
distribution of fruit spurs from
base to top. This can only be done
by judicious summer pruning. The
cutting away of foliage, buds and i'm
mature wood from the tops of the
branches in July or August tends to
the production and better maturing
of buds near the base
"In renovating an old orchard
where it is necessary to remove a
large portion of the top, of course
the first work should be done in the
winter; then to secure the most sat
isfactory results follow this up with
June pinching and August pruning.
This method diverts the energy of the
tree to the production of fruit, a
much more valuable service than that
of producing worthless brush that
must be removed at a great outlay
of time, labor and patience
Emphasize the fact that a branch
should never be cut unless there is
some good and sufficient reason for
it.
When a limb has been cut off
and two or more shoots start-ani
have seen a doZen-rub or cut off
all but one. The quicker this is
done after they start to grow the
better. We have all seen the results
of negligence in the great tufts or
clusters like an old-fashioned brush
broom. 1 have found the best thing
to do with such tufts is to cut below
the tufts at the first good bud or
branch
81 firmly believe that, in the aver
age orchard, one hour of intelligent
pruning during the first week in
August would bring more profitable
results than five hours of the usua
cutting and slashing in winter.
| "Inasmuch as we are generally
agreed that We prune in summer tc
! produce fruit and in winter to pro
/ duce wood and the average orchari
| has too much wood and too little
| fruit, would it not be well for the
average man who has no better rea
son for severe winter pruning than
the fact that he has nothing else tc
do at that time, to stop and inquire
| whether it will pay to take time in
summer?
Just do little more. thinking
then experiment. a little on your own
account and I believe you will agree
with me that there Is both sense and