The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-02-26
THE PRUNING OF SHADE TREES.
IBy Marshall Fulton.l
IBy Marsh

THE PRUNING OF SHADE TREES.
| IBy Marshall Fulton.]
Pruning Is the cutting on OF limbs
so as to benefit the remaining ones.
This process was taken from nature.
If a tree is worth pruning it should
be carefully watched by the owner
and properly trimmed The best tool
for this work is the thumb and fin
ger which may be used to pick on the
buds or young branches. II the limb
is too large for this ssw or prin-
ing knife should be used. We should
never use Ratchet or axe as 1t tears
the bark and leaves jagged place.
The limb should be sawed level
with the remaining bark SO hat 1t
may heal more easily. stealing is
bound to be q slow process, some
times taking several years. 1t is bet
ter to have the tree untrimmed than
to trim it and leave exposed heart
wood.
After the limb has been sawed off
the wound should be covered with a
coat of white lead and linseed oil so
as not to expose any heart-wood
where fungi might terminate.
The stub of limb should not be
allowed to remain. II 1t is it harms
the tree besides rotting and falling
of. A limb should be cut as close to
| tha trunk as possible.
There are nine general principles
which give good summary of prun
/ ing.
| Pruning roots OF fruit trees causes
smaller amount of leaves but more
! fruit.
| Pruning the crown .nvigorates the
remaining branches.
| Unpruned trees produce less foil
age but longer branches.
Summer pruning reduces the
struggle for light and makes stronger
buds for the spring.
| Early winter pruning Is undesir
able because the wounds will not b,
healed until spring.
/ Winter pruning reduces the numbel
of buds but makes the others NOR,
i vigorous.
/ Dead wood should be taken out a
any time and burned
The best time to urune is in tn
spring.
Yearly pruning is better than tina
at less frequent intervals.
I The pruning of shade trees re
! quires only the removal of dead o
broken limbs or those which inter
1 fere or crowd The limbs which han
low enough TO touch umbrellas, o
those which hang over the street o
sidewalk are apt to fall and shoul
be removed. Those extending hor
zontally over the streets are apt I
fall and should be cut off
Some principles may be mentione
about general tree surgery. Capita
operations on trees are performe
t very successfully nowadays. Tree
should be trained SO that they vi
not have dangerous fork; but
h they have it they should &c strengt
ened with a bolt. II a tree Is fills
. with rotten wood 1t shout. be G
open and have the rotten wood I
moved. II the tree is worth savir
a the wound may be strengthened wi
cement If an antiseptic is used /
z forehand
Some of the enemies of city ire
d are smoke and gas which cog up t
stomata. With a pavement on BIO
sides city tree should have a t
IS buried near it in the ground a
should be filled with waite. daily.
of Topping a tree is apt to do
great harm. A tree that Is topr
will never be beautiful again. For
KS trees are never topped unless stru
by lightning or broken by terri
MS wind storm. The young. rapidly grt
ing shoots, which spring up when
a, tree is topped are apt to be brol
off by the first ice or wind storm
RS they are very weak.