Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-10-24
EXPERT INSTRUCTIONS ON THE
PROPER WAY TO PRUNE
PEACH TREES FROM
PLANTING TIME ON.
NEGLECT NOT PROFITABLE
Numerous Young Orchards in Polk
County Now Demanding Attention
of Shears and Knife-Ph Philosophy
of Growth Explained in Detail for
Benefit of Growers.

In my travels over the country"
said County Fruit Inspector B. Y.
Allen to the Observer, last Saturday,
81 find a number Of peach orch
ards. In the most Of them the trees
are fine, healthy and Of vigorous
growth. In most cases, the question
Of how to prune and care for such
trees has already presented itself to
the owner of the orchard, and am
constantly being asked for informa-
tion on the subject. In answering,
l can do no better than to quote the
directions given by A. H. Carson,
state horticultural commissioner Of
the third district
Aside from cutting back the
young tree when first planted, " said
he, "the first year there will be no
necessity for pruning, excepting the
February following, when, should
the growth be too thick, it should
be thinned out to admit sunlight and
air and to preserve symmetrical pro-
portions and balance.
RVSOuW 4 CaA "A A0AAAAA6s
"After the first year, the second
years growth will be the time when
you shall begin annual pruning for
the purpose Of growing fancy peach
es, and too, to prolong the life and
vigor of your peach trees. To be-
come an expert pruner of the peach,
the pruner must know and under
stand the characteristics Of the
growth of the peach. First, it must
be remembered that the peach bears
its first fruit on the annual growth
of the preceding year; that the
yearly growth must be had each
year, or there will be no fruit buds
for the fruit the year following.
"YOu have no doubt noted that
an old, unpruned peach orchard
bears what little fruit it produces
each year on the extreme ends Of
its limbs, and the space from the
ground to the terminal fruiting spurs
is bare, with dead twigs and worm
eaten limbs showing decay, accom-
panied by a gradual dying Of the
tree. Why do peach orchards, five
or six years after planting, present
this appearance Because Of the
want of intelligent annual pruning.
Nature Of Growth.
Let us take the annual growth Of
a peach twig and examine its fruit
buds and leaf buds. You will note
on close examination that the termi-
nal bud is a leaf bud, strong, large
and vigorous; that the buds down
the twig are single and compound;
that some are fruit buds, single and
In ease of compound
fruit buds, you will always find a
leaf or wood bud between them
Now, you will note these buds be-
ginning at the terminal bud and fol-
lowing along the twig are strong,
vigorous buds down TO or near the
lower part Of the twig. There you
will find, near the face Of the twig,
a number Of fat wood buds. These
Eat wood buds are weak buds, and
unless stimulated by intelligent pru-
ming, perish with the annual growth
Of the peach. The perishing Of these
weak wood buds annually is the
reason for the fruiting Of an unpun-
ed peach tree, and the intervening
space becomes bare Of growth and
and the unpruned
tree begins 10 die.
Neglect Improbable.
"As a rule, an unpruned peach
tree will not be productive and will
not pay to gather the fruit after SIX
years old. Under proper manage
ment ana intelligent pruning a
peach tree can Be made q l0ng-lived
tree, and should, If properly pruned,
be as healthy and vigorous az ten