The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-02-18

pruning Is oho va
i ra 1nd vet least understood crafts s that
AM al ,nr r in the growing OF Irul1s JUS
IS pi ro are many erroneous notions and
Iheie as nracticed every year in the
theol. rds Of this state, some OF them
0Tclla, vr 70 nature and the best good OF
o CO.., orchard, while others are vain at
the " at securing results that can be
ea5ns orr tree is rule unto itself and
hNr +roes can always be pruned ex-
~ ~, Wv" the same. The primer should be
ac. .,- 70 detect the weaknesses as we'll
quiI ro strong marks of variety or in
as t .5,aI He must be elastic in thought
CIV Nv narception as well as application.
anu La viii ruin a valuable tree. His
o. 9r ~ is TO make the best OF every lndl-
ua :anaI tree regardless of its condition
or shape. aa;,. +o ,ro, .
,rccessful orchard in some places with
inning. it is an absolute impossi-
ou .p:. p bore in the West. The success
s D-i crover must prune, and prune ev-
iul oar at least once, if he would
have perfect trees.
Ia" Tboro can be no best time to prune
IL varieties and ages OF trees in all
Inmates. The vigorous growers and
NV hearers on rich, moist soil should
81 summer pruned as we'll as winter
r,rnned, or at least summer pruned.
rhile the slow growers and heavy
"aarors should always be pruned dur
W. tho winter. One must constantly
ramomber that heavy winter pruning
+ends 10 exhilerate wood growth, while
hoovv summer prunig tends to develop
frnit huds and consequently, fruit.
The essential thing in young tree
&c that it make strong, rapid growth.
therefore it should be pruned during
tbe dormant, or winter season, to in
d,co Growth. As soon as it becomes
large enough and old enough to bear,
this winter pruning may or may not
he modified, or even supplemented by
simmer pruning The essential thing
in an old apple tree is that it produce
fruit and it should be pruned in such
a manner that it will produce fruit. In
Eastern Washington and most of the
irrigated valleys the trees produce fruit
too Young and tend to overbear, while
in Western Washington the reverse is
true. With these facts before us it is
easy to see why it is best to prune the
Young trees and most of the old ones
in the central and eastern parts of the
state during the winter and all of the
bearing trees in Western Washington
during the summer season.
Pruning is an operation that should
not be done carelessly or hurriedly.
The primer should study each tree as
be prunes it, and each branch as he re-
moves it. When heading back young
trees or cutting off the tops Of last
years growth, the cut should always
be made slanting away from and about
one-sixteenth of an inch above the first
bud that is intended to grow. A longer
stub than this will dry, crack and form
an entrance for fungi, bacteria and
similar annoyances A shorter stub
will usually result in the death of the
first bud.
When pruning trees that have q
dense, upright habit of growth, like
the Wagner, Rome Beauty, etc, cut to
strong outer buds in order to spread
the naturally narrow, compact top, but
when pruning spreading or slender
growing trees, cut to buds that point
toward the ceuter of the tree in order
to throw the limbs inward and upward.
Severe Pruning May Be Necessary
Weak growing trees or weak branches
IN strong trees may be compelled to
produce strong growths by severe win
ter pruning. In the removal of lateral
branches from either young or old
trees, cut parallel with and close to the
main stems. Never leave stubs from
one to two inches long in hopes that
they will develop into fruit spurs, since
less than per cent ever become fruit