The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1911-09-15
EDITED BY r. WALDEN.

pruned this way, at least until they
get eight or ten years old; ithat young
trees should have lots of foliage to
protect all parts from the sun; that
the central branches should be allowed
| to grow and fill the hollow centerS
full of well-spurred limbs. Following
this advice | have just finished prun-
ing my apples aud yesterday started
on my peaches. 70 be candid, l
think your advice, combining as it
does theoretical as we'll as practical
knowledge, is the one l will follow
only my trees are now sum mer prun-
ed-the first time have pruned this
way. What l ask is that you treat
fully of summer pruning and the
open head tree, giving the why's"
l will try to comply with this re-
quest, but will not engage in any
personal controversy, and especially
with the person named by Mr.. Bailey,
for he is my personal friend and
competent horticulturist. Tue fact
is we can find very competent men
on all sides of these questions. l
will clearly state my views and give
my reasons. Any one holding diff
ferent views to mine has the same
privilege. | would recommend those
interested to read both sides and then
remember the Dutchman's advice,
"You pays your money and you takes
your choice.
1t is a rule among horticulturists,
"Prune in the winter for wood and
in the summer for fruit" Sorauer
in his great work on physiology of
Plants,' page 1873, says: IF the
term winter pruning is given to any
removal of shoots during the resting
period of a woody plant, we may say
generally that winter pruning is
strengthening, while summer pruning
is Weakening No well-informed
horticulturist will call in question
this statement, now will he recon-
mend the weakening of tree unless
1t is necessary. Now when tree is
exceedingly vigorous and giving all
its strength to wood growth it may
become necessary to check this wood
formation in order to get the formation
of fruit buds. But do we find this
condition prevailing in Eastern Wash
ington, Northern Idaho or anywhere
else in the intermOuntain states? No.
We find as general rule that our
trees 10 these sections bear too young
and too heavily for their good.
Hence, to resort to a method of prun-
| ing that tends to weaken them and at
the same time cause over production,
would certainly be an unwise step
Neither the weakening nor the in
crease of production is needed in
those sections. Then do not practice
summer pruning.
What is presented above introduces
factor of great Importance in con-
nection with this matter of pruning
and that is locality. The method of
pruning suitable to one locality will
not be adapted to some other. Let
me introduce some proofs on this
| point. Fred w. Card, then Prof. of
| Horticulture in the Nebraska Expert
ment Station, issued a Bulletin in
| 1897, entitled "Notes on Pruning in
which we find this languages: "Shall
we prune fruit trees in the West? To
an eastern man this will appear like
a foolish question, and he will at once
say, why, yes, Of course; prune
fruit trees everywhere. To the
western man it will not appear so
| foolish; indeed, many men upon the
plains would say, No! in answer to
this question. Where is the trouble?
Plainly difference in conditions.
The eastern fruit-grower has learned
by experience that pruning is an
essential part of this method of treat
ment. The western grower, on the
other hand, has not only found that
he can produce good fruit without
pruning, but has sometimes found
injurious results from it. He may,