Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-18
PRUNING APPLE TREES

There are two important reasons for
pruning the apple tree-to prolong It's
life and to improve the quality of its
fruit. Pruning is properly done after
the sap stops howing-from November
to February.
The tools needed are narrow trim
ming saw for all medium-sized limbs,
larger saw for the heavier wood
and a pair of pruning shears for re-
moving whips or suckers from about
the trunk and lower limbs. All cuts
must be clean, as a shaggy or uneven
surface promotes decay. All raw wood
must be painted.
Trees which have borne full crops
may be closely pruned, as the next
years crop will be light says the Gar
den Magazine. All superfiuous branches
can be removed, overbalanced limbs
shortened, and the tree left clean and
open. Trees which are to bear the fol-
lowing year cannot be closely pruned
without the los of many fruit buds
| Except in extreme cases, the branches
should be merely thinned.
1t is a good plan to undertake the
| old trees first, as much may be learned
| from past pruning. Trees which must
support the weight of very long boughs
| extending at right angles to the trunk
will eventually suffer from sagging
| limbs and split trunk. All trees
| whose long, naked limbs extend for
many feet from the trunk to the leafy
periphery, have each year borne their
crops little farther away. The crown
of foliage has assumed an umbrella
like form, discouraging inner growth
| by it's shade, and the size and quality
1f flo if- af fn6 hN g.
tance from the root system. Remedy
this by cutting away portions of these
heavy boughs at point where good
growth may result from young shoots
or adventtious buds closer to the feed
| ing system. The fruit Of this new
| growth will be larger and more juicy
! than that farther away.
PRUNING YOUNG TREES
In the case of young trees of few
years bearing, the method is some
what different. Here vigor of growth
| is not distributed over a large area,
| but it's force IS observed in the rapid
| formation of young buds and shoots.
Here the pruner must discourage in
| tervening growth directing 1t to the
limbs which will give the tree proper
balance, thus favoring an even distri-
| button of fruit to which the sunlight
shall have moderate access. In trim
ming it is wise to first cut out mis-
| placed branches, with an eye to the
position of young buds or shoots, and
| then go over the tree with the trim
mining saw, cutting out all superfluous
growth.
With two-year-old trees, Mt is neces-
sary to decide upon the height of the
head or point where the lowest
diverge from the trunk, which
is usually between four, and five
feet from the ground. Once estah-
| lished this distance will be maintained
throughout the life of the tree. All
branches below this point are cut off,
! four or five buds or branches near the
/ desired point being retained. The pref
! erence Is for branches that tend up
ward and outward at such an angle as
to properly support future crops. Each
year all plant boughs which sag from
| the weight at their ends should have
| a portion cut away relying upon a
later bud to continue the growth to
the desired length when the limb is
stronger.
Until the tree reaches bearing age,
subsequent pruning consists in cutting
| out closely interviewing branches.