The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-02-02
INTEREST CONTINUES
At FARMERS MEETING
Subject of Pruning IntellieentIy Han
died at Saturdays Institute
Future Subjects Announced

last Saturday afternoon at CONNER
cial hall with a large attendance.
The afternoons topic was "Prun-
ing' and the discussion was led by
Deputy Fruit Inspector John Stor-
land.
According to Mr.. Storland, the
first requisite for successful orchard
culture is to grow the trees and
these should be planted in the fall
to secure the best results in growth.
In pruning he suggests that it is
best to leave all the growth above
the bud the first year. HIS says that
the open headed tree is not as
strong as the tree with leader un-
less artificial support is supplied
which can be efficiently and neatly
done by the use of wires and screw
eyes. The amount of pruning to
be done depends upon the growth
and Mr.. Storland indorses the uni
uersal practice here of keeping the
trees as close to the ground as
possible, cutting the limbs back
wherever expedient to the growth of
a low, squatty tree. Peaches gener-
ally need more pruning than apples
or pears. He cited as an example
the policy of the owners of large
commercial orchards in Arkansas
where the trees are pruned so that
all the fruit is gathered from the
ground. Cherries do not need
much pruning, but the tips should
be cut back.
Mr.. Storland spoke briefly of the
pruning of grapes and advocated
the system of Robert Schleicher, of
the Charleston valley, who furnished
a valuable paper for the last meet
ing of the State Horticultural Asso-
citation, which was held this year in
Charleston. This is given in full in
the report of this meeting, a copy
of which is mailed to each member
of the association. By application
to Mr.. Storland membership can
be secured and the report will be
mailed. Grapes should be pruned
in the fall and the old wood cut
away. If the tender varieties are
pruned in the fall, they should be
covered during the winter to pro-
tect them from the cold. This also
applies to raspberries or any shrub
with open pith.
The opinions expressed as to
what time of year is best for prun-
ing were many and various. 1t
was generally agreed that the proper
time is dependent upon the purpose
OF pruning, whether it be to secure
more fruit buds, stronger growth,
or protection from climatic con-
ditions. The popular belief was
expressed by Mr.. Huff who said,
To secure heavy yield of fruit
you must punish the tree." The
pruning shears are useful and E.
M. Sly related his experience with
some seventeen-year-old apple trees,
which also has a relation to this
system of promoting fruitfulness.
In the month of June he sawed
through the bark the entire circum-
ference OF the trunks of the trees
which had been bearing scarcely
any fruit and this resulted in a
phenomenal yield. He cautioned
any who might care to repeat the
experiment in saving the bark in
any other month but June and
does not guarantee its efficiency in
any other variety of trees.
There was considerable dispute
as to the merits of growing pear
trees with leader. Mr.. Storland,
backed up by the experience of
P. J. O'Hara, an expert on the
pear blight, who was hired to fight
the blight in the Rogue River valley,
says that it is harder to contend
with the blight in a tree with
leader, since it travels rapidly down
the main trunk of the tree and the
Continued Oh last page)