Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-04-21
PREMIUM APPLES.

PA uhiA6 VI dpplc Iccb
Pruning is a very old practice. |
and a very necessary one. Its prin-
ciple aims are to give the plants |
vigor and to make them fruitful, to
facilitate such orchard work as prun-
ing, spraying, thinning, and cultiva-
tion, also to regulate the amount of
heat and light that strikes the va
rious parts of the tree, producing
maximum color and shielding against
sun scald, also training the plant to
some desired form.
There are a few general principles
one should bear in mind; first, study
the type of tree desired. Yellow
Newton apples should not be pruned
the same day as the Northern Spy.
Peaches are pruned entirely different
from apples. You should make a
close study of the bearing habits, and
type Of buds. Most apples and pears
bear on spurs two years of age, but
occasionally fruit is borne on one
year old spurs in the axils of leaves
of the previous years growth, on
tips of last years growth, and some
times on one year old spurs. Peaches
bear on one year old wood and never
on older growth. Heavy top pruning
tends to produce very rank wood
growth, rejuvinates plants and has a
tendency to produce a heavy water
sprout growth.
"The habits of plants differ ac-.
cording to age as we'll as variety.
The general tendency is to grow
from the uppermost buds. The head
ing in of the terminal growth tends
TO strengthen and produce latsTaiS.
Fruit-bearing tends to become a hab-
it with trees, and may be brought
about by check, such as light
pruning, not as much cultivation,
etc. Season may have a bearing on
the tendency of producing fruitful
ness. Spring or winter pruning has
tendency to produce wood growth.
Summer pruning, if not done to ex-
cess, has a tendency to produce
fruit.
"The question of high and low
heads is not worth discussing. We
know that low heads makes cheaper
| orchard work, and one is not so apt
to lose trees from sun scald or
borers. Remember, a short trunk
may not mean a low head. There
are several types of trees, such as
the open tree, sometimes called the
vase" or goblet" or leader of pyra-
midal type. A great deal of precious
time is wasted on the discussion of
these types. Some varieties tend to
make an unsatisfactory growth, espe-
cially the yellow varieties, If grown
other than by the leader type. The
Northern Spy does much better when
grown open. Open trees are gen.
orally weak due to allowing the
branches to start from one bud. Do
not do this. Select the branches
carefully and allow plenty of space
between them.
Pruning Young Apples.
Head the trees low, from IS to
20 inches. You can cut, say about
rs inches, and this will give you
more space on which to form the
branches. Never allow all branches
to grow near top of cut; this means
that at the growing season you will
have to rub off buds and cut out all
undesirable branches. Do this be-
fore the branches get very large, in
the spring of the second year.
would prefer to prune young trees
before growth starts in spring. Sc
lect from three to five of the best
branches and cut back to growth 10
to. IL inches in length. Remove all
laterals. During the second year each
branch will throw out a large nun
ber of new branches. Only allow
two of these new branches TO grow
on the previous years growth. Cut
these back from 10 to IL inches in
length. Occasionally we allow some
of these branches to remain, but
these have tendency to produce
early fruit, too early for the good
of the tree.
"At the beginning of the third yeal
you should again thin out excessive
laterals, the same as the previous
year, but you can allow the remain
ing laterals to be headed back to
two or three buds. The heading
back process gives strength and bal
ance to the trees. The weak forks
should not be allowed to grow. From
the third year on the pruning be
comes less vigorous, the aim being
to check trees making excessive ter
minal growth and removing the lat
erals where they are too thick. i
you practice severe pruning you viii
soon have a large brush heap.
about the summer of the fourtl
year you can do some summer prun
ing. This can be done about the
first or middle of July, and should be
very moderate. In removing branches
cut them close to the body of the
tree. Never allow branch to droI
so as to tear the tree, making bat
wound. All wounds should be paint
ed or covered with grating wax. /
you have a large growth of watel
sprouts, indications are, that you arc
doing too much pruning. The weak
er the tree, branch or twig, the mort
we winter prune to give vitality
: Never prune branches that are froz
J en-, as this causes die back, and thu
wounds do not heal well. On mature