Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-04-03


Although the pruning of fruit trees
has been done for years by men, who
were growing fruit either as CONNER
cial proposition or merely to have
little fruit in the home garden, still
there is probably no other phase of the
fruit business which is SO poorly done
and about which so little is known.
In the beginning, we should under
stand the difference in meaning of the
terms pruning and training. By train
ing, the shape, form and style of the
tree is changed, while by pruning, the
yigor, fruitfulness. and general bearing
habits of a tree are altered changed
to meet the needs of the grower.
Let US start then, with the training
of the young tree, There is no doubt
but that the early training is the most
| important part of a trees life. II this
! training is not done properly and the
tree started right, it will probably al
| ways be weak tree, or will not be
| the profitable investment that 1t should
be; on the other hand, If the proper
| training is given the first three or four
| years, the tree ought to be SO started
| that it would be in shape to bear many
future crops with further pruning com.
paratiyely easy
Height Of Head,
When starting. to train young apple
trees, the first thing to be decided is
the height of head which we are going
to use. Without going too much In de.
| tail, it is sufficient to state that in
West Virginia we should use low
head. The stress are not only picked,
sprayed and pruned easier and cheap
er, but there is also less liability OF
the trees being damaged by the winds
or injured by sun scale. The
proper height in West Virginia is from
"a to % inches high, this giving us s
to inches in which to form our heads,
thus bringing the lower limbs from 19
To % inches from the ground, which
allows of proper cultivation, especially
where extension implements are used.
Peaches should be cut off about IS
7taches high, which gives =us=a lower
head than in apples.
Method of Pruning To Use.
1 There are two systems or methods
by which the apple might be pruned.
First, by the open headed method, or,
second, by the central leader system.
Both methods are used extensively,
and, while each grower can decide for
himself which method he wishes to-
use, still the central leader system
! seem to he the hest netltnd- for. West
Virginia. With the open headed sys-
tenn the branches of the head all come
out very near the same place on the
trunk and tend to make weak and bad.
Ecrotches. Also the weig ht-ef the crop
is borne on only about six Inches OF
the trunk and the main limbs are moro
! liable to split and break when the tree
bears heavy. Such an open headed
| tree is shown in Fig. 1, On the other
/ hand, with the central leader, the
| limbs are distributed over larger por
4 ton of the trunk, two or three scat
| folds of limbs can be formed and the
weak crotches can be greatly de.
creased. The fruit is not borne all at
one place on the=trunk. There is a
greater bearing surface on such tree
and stronger tree is formed: There.
| fore, in pruning the apple, the first
year. consists simply of cutting of che
whipI24 to % inches high. The second
/ year this whip will have thrown out a
number of branches or latera1s.
Choose from to 5 laterals, or posi-.
BIZ. / or 2 more, if they are all well
/ placed, and cut out all others. Prune
| these Iaterals back to from to s
1 buds, according to the yigor of the
growth, and leave the central leader.
cutting it back in proportion to the
laterals. Now, this second year. these
laterals will throw out a number of
sub-laterals and the central leader will
continue its upward growth. Then the
4 third spring choose 2 or 5 of the best
well-plaeed sub-laterals which are
branching out like a fork from the
-11assn limbs -laterals and cut the
SSr sp}-laicrals. Cut hack the o:fss
Gu esys ~ Z tEe