Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-05-27
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Pruning the Apple Tree.
THE PURPOSES FOB WHICH IT IS d oNI
AND HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THEM.
The objects of pruning are three il
number. The primary one is to reduce
the struggle for existance among the va
rious parts Of the tree so that the re-
naming portion may produce larger and
better fruits. Pruning, therefore, Is q
thinning process, the beneficial effect Of
which may be readily demonstrated BY
the cutting out Of about half the brush
from a neglected apple tree. The pro-
cess Includes the removal Of dead or
diseased parts az we'll az of superf1uOus
living branches.
The second reorganized object OF
pruning is to control and modify the
shape Of trees. Pruning, therefore, is
training process. 1t commences when
the tree is In the nursery row, and may
continue throughout it's life.
Finally, pruning is prsctised on &C.
count of its effect upon the formation OF
fruit buds and leaf buds. The physio-
logical processes concerned in this are
not we'll understood, but 1t Is we'll
known that pruning during growing sea-
son produces an entirely different enect
from pruning during the dormant sea-
son. A heavy pruning OF the top during
the winter tends to produce wood, be-
cause the same amount of root energy is
concentrated on a smaller top. The
pruning of the root has the opposite Of
feet, tending to lessen the production OF
wood, because the same amount OF top
receives smaller supply of the stored
up energy of the roots and smaller
su pply Of soil water, with its plant food
constituents.
THE IDEAL IN PRUNING.
In the pruning of the apple tree there
ara two distinct styles or ideals-the
central leader type and the open centre
type, each with it's corps of adherants'
There are many supporters OF the cen
trail leader type among the Western
growers, and they claim that tree
pruued in this form makes stronger
structure and is not SO likely to be brok.
en- down by wind and heavy crops OF
fruit, This is a strong argument and
csnno, be ignored. A tree of this type,
however is inclined to grow too nign,
and completely shuts out the light from
the centre of the tree.
The open centre type Of tree is the
one most commonly found in the COM
mercial orchards of the East. For New
England, where the maximum amount
of sunshine is necessary to deveiop iruIt
of high color, this seems to Do the most
desirable type. If carefully grown ana
properly trained, and ii the trees are not
allowed to overbear, there is not hkeiy
TO be much trouble from the breaking OF
the branches.
In order to develop strong open-cen-
tre habit we must have good nursery
tree TO start with. We hear a great deal
nowadays about the desirability of grow
ine low-headed trees, and am strong
advocate of such practise; but DO NOT
belieye in heading them 80 low that
there is no room for the proper distri.
button of the main or scaffold limbs OF
the tree. If the practise is to head q
tree thirty inches from the ground, the
"Iubbipg' of Of the buds should not
extend more than twelve inches from
the ground, leaving space OF eighteen
inches for the proper distribution OF the
scaffold limbs, of which there should DO
from three to five, evenly spaced along
the central axis, and no more than one
should be allowed to develop at the
same point.
To encourage the development Of the
weaker growing branches and to cneck
the persistence of the stronger ones, IL ID
necessary to do some pruning during
the growing season.
GROWING THE YOUNG TREE.
7 believe that in the past We have
grown our trees too fast and have prull'
ed them great deal too much. To de-
velop strong, fruit bearing structure, a
tree should not be unduly forced. IL
NAV be observed that with trees that
have made normal growth the branches
are more tapering and more rigid than
those on rapidly growing trees. E1ces.
Awe growth is frequently due 10 liberal
fertilization and cultivation, but is just
as often due to severe winter pruning.
Ii Is safe to say that some varieties
would be better left unpruned until they
reach the bearing age, and that others
should have a moderate amount OF prun-
ing. and that large part of this pruning
should be done during the growing sea-
son. The character OF the soil OF course
will exert considerable influence upon
the behavior of q growing tree. Trees
grown on light soil undoubtedly will re-
auire less pruning than those grown on
heavy soil. Drainage also exerts consid'
erabie influence upon the behavior OF Q
tree. and the training of a tree on well
drained soil is au easier proposition than
that of training one on land that re-
mains wet late in the spring.
SUMMER PRUNING.
Summer pruning as contrasted Win
the regular practice is the pruning OF
trees while in foliage. Its influence
upon the trees in many respects is oppo-
site to winter pruning. The latter stim'
ulates wood growth, while the former
tends to lessen wood growth. As rule
any practice that checks wood growth
tends to induce fruitfulness. Growers
have taken advantage of this fact Tor
many years. In England the result Is
attained by root pruning. Just why the
checking Of wood growth should induce
the formation Of fruit buds and how u
sxerts this influence Is not we'll under
stood. =.
For assistance in the preparation OF
this paper have appealed to some OF
the best authorities in this country ano
| in Canada. Personal letters were sent
to twenty -four different people, mostly
college and experiment station horticui'
turists. Twenty-Five replies were re.
ceived. While these replies brought ou,
many conflicting statements with regard
to the time and method OF doing ths
work, they mostly agree that there Is
place for summer pruning In our orohare
practice.
IcoNcrusyoNs AND RECOMMENDATIONS