Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-07-28
SOME PRUNING sUeeEsTIoNs.


The first two or three years prun-
ing Of On orchard Of young trees Is
the most important as determining the
framework and shape which the trees
will have In later years. Allowed to
develop at will, apple and pear as well
as peach trees grow too fall and lack
strength and sturdiness of head and
limb. The first pruning to secure the
desired results should consist In cut
ting the yearllng trees back to q
height of about twenty inches within
a week after they are set out. This
will cause the little trees to throw out
from them three to five or six lateral
shoots. These should be allowed to
grow without interference during the
first season. In the early fall, II 1t Is
desired to hasten the maturing Of the
wood, one may trim these branches
back to q length Of from twelve to
fifteen inches, depending somewhat
upon the vigor and size Of the tree.
More frequently this job is put over
until the April and May following
about now. In doing this cutting one
should be guided by the habit Of the
tree. If vertical grower one should
prune to outside buds. while II the
tree IS Of q spreading variety. like the
Spitzenburg. one should prune to In
side buds, which will throw the SUBJ
sequent shoots in instead Of out. The
best orchardists favor the vase shaped
or open crown because it lets the sum
shine color the fruit and gives when
mature a tree that is low growing and
easy alike to spray and to prune and
whose fruit is easy to thin and har-
vest The pruning year later should
be Of the same general character and
a good half or more of the new growth
be cut back. This treatment will give
q strong and sturdy head or frame,
which later will give the tree suft1-
cient strength. except in rare cases, to
bear its burden of fruit without much
propping.
During the growing months the
young orchard should be gone over, and
water sprouts or shoots that are clear
ly out of place should be removed with
the fingers or q sharp knife. II the or
chard has arrived at an age when it
ought to bear and does not. summer
pruning may be adopted during the
month Of July. This discourages a
growth Of wood and encourages the
setting Of fruit buds for the following
season. This same treatment may be
adopted with any mature orchard |
where the trees are shapely and where |
1t Is not necessary to encourage the
growth of wood for the formation of |
new tops. In the case Of the peach |
trees the pruning should be rather
heavy, including not only a cutting |
back of half or more of the previous |
years growth. but thinning out Of 1T
least q third Of its branches. Fruit |
buds form on wood of the previous |
seasons growth. so that pruning has
q very direct influence on fruit bear
ing. With the peach tree as with the
apple and pear. tho broad snreadin
low headed tree Is desirable, as well as
the open crown. which will let IN the
sunshine to color and ripen the fruit.
While general directions such as the
above may be given, it is well to re-
member that trees. like folks, have an
individuality both of habit and form;
hence each should be studied separate
ly and be pruned and handled accord
ingly. Trees are wonderfully respon-
sive. and 1t is remarkable what one
can do in helping them to beautiful
as we'll as useful development. Prun-
ing should usually be in a ratio to the
rapidity of growth Of the tree, which
in turn depends upon richness of soil,
abundance of moisture and length OF
the growing season.