The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-04-07
FRUIT GROWING IN
MANITOWOC COUNTY
Pruning Trees

1t is now time to be thinking of trim
ming our fruit trees. This is kind of
work for which no hard and fast rules
can be given. 1t requires beyond any
other work, good judgment in dealing
with the individual tree. You must
take into your calculation the habit of
| growth of the tree above all other
things. If you have a tree that is a
straight grower with a tendency to
make a close matted tOp-then your
care must be to trim so as to let the
sun shine into the center of the tree
50 that the sun may color and ripen
your fruit. If you have a tree with a
tendency to spread out, then your trim
ming is more on the outside. and you
must work to head in your tree" "
| Allowance must be made also for the
effect on the limbs when loaded with
fruit. If the branches are long and
slender as in the case of the Wealthy
and Windsor trees of that type. the
weight of the fruit will bend them
downward and outward and you may
find that YOU have done more trimming
in order-to have an open top than was
really necessary.
If the limbs are short and stocky and
| the top close. rs is the case in the New
| ell, you must trim and cut severely in
order to have an open top, which is an
absolute necessity in that kind of a
tree. The Newell is a very, stocky,
| bushy tree and takes a great deal of
pruning in order to let in the sun. In
pruning, cut the sprout close to the
| limb and if necessary to cut a good
sized limb, saw close to tree, making
! as smooth a cut as possible. Be sure
cut. Many have some white lead
paint rather thick, to touch over the
cut. This is good preparation and
will preserve the wood while nature is
closing the wound over.
In my own orchard, after trimming Il
| few trees, | take pot of grating wax
melted and quite hot, and with a swab
apply a thick coating. 1t answers
better than the paint as it is soft and
yields to the new growth. If you see a
straight shoot growing up through
your tree like a buggy whip, cut it
out from the point where it starts
That is what is called water sprout
and will disfigure your tree. 1t will
also, as a rule, be barren of fruit.
If your trees are young and have not
yet come into bearing, trim them but
little, enough simply to give them
shape, and keep the top open open. Let
! them grow.
If you find two limbs crossing each
other, rubbing and chafng the bark
off, be sure to cut one of them out. If
a limb is making too rapid growth it
| may be necessary to shorten it in order
to balance the top and keep the tree
symmetrical.
When is the best time to trim and
prune trees? That depends on circum-
stances. If your tree is slow grower
and you want growth in size, do it now
before the leaf buds open. The addi-
tional root power will increase the
size of the tree. If the tree has come
into bearing ana is thrifty and of good
size, wait till the flower buds show, or
even open, then trim and prune and
| the fruit will get the benefit.
If you are trimming a neglected tree
| into shape be careful not to cut too
much wood at once. 1t is better to
| spread such work over two or three
years than to do it all at once. You
rnay kill your tree by depriving it of
sufficient leaf producing surface.
If there are any dead limbs, cut
| them out at Il point where there is
sound live wood. Leave no rot any
| where in the tree. Cut it out If it
| leaves hole thai is likely to hold wat
er and produce further rot get some
cement and sand and fill it up. So far
as time is concerned trees can be prun-
ed at any time, but it is not best to do
it in the late summer and fall after
the growing season has ended. #
pruned in the spring or summer, Ma
ture will do much toward healing up
the cuts before winter sets in. In
pruning an orchard, bear in mind that
you are surgeon operating on life,
not wood butcher.
J. $. ANDERSON.