The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-02-06

most important matters in connection
with tree culture, it is one of TIT
processes about which there is thu
most misunderstanding. The diff
Guilty lies in the fact that differen
conditions govern the end desired IL
the trimming of any tree. For ex
ample lawn tree is not pruned thu
same way as shade tree. There
is one purpose in cutting back a tree
at the time of planting, and quite
another in thinning out the decayine
wood of an old tree. In pruning
fruit trees, the only desire IS to make
them bear better fruit, and one il
not at all concerned with improving
their size or symmetry, nothing car
be more injurious to trees than trim
ming only for the sake Of trimming
Be sure to know why you want youl
trees trimmed, and ascertain the abil'
ity of. the workman before you per.
NIT saw or an axe to touch your
tree.
There are some points to be observ-
cd that are applicable to the prun.
ing of all trees. All dead and i'm
perfect limbs should be removed. The
top of tree should not be allowed
to become so extremely dense as to
exclude sunlight and air from the
center of the tree. To thin out the
tops of such trees, the main limbs
and branches Immediately radiating
from them should be left, and all cut
ting limited to the third and fourth
divisions in the branching. Also, IN
removing the lower limbs of shade
trees that interfere with the public
use of the highway or obstruct street
lights it is not necessary to clean the
main trunk of limbs TO very great
height; but subdivisions can be re-
moved, giving the branches a grace
full upward turn.
The work of pruning should begin
at the top of the tree, be continued
in downward direction, and COM
pleted at the bottom. 1t is easier to
shape tree by that method, and time
is saved in clearing the tree of prun-
ed limbs. Frequently limb gets
caught in it's fall; but, as the man
works downward, he is able to free
the limbs and do the cutting at the
same time.
A common but very bad way or re-
moving limb is to cut the shortes,
way across, eight or ten inches from
the shoulder, leaving a stub. There
being no drafts of sap into the stub,
because the end of the branch is re-
moved, the mel 1t annual layeEAof
wood of the main trunk will not be
continued around the limb, but will
be deposited at the base of the stub.
This remaining portion of the ampu-
tated branch, being no longer living
tissue and exposed to the weather,
will, dry, check lose its bark, and the
successive annual layers deposited on
the trunk will form a collar at the
base of the stub. Soon the stub will
break off at the collar and leave an
ugly knot-hole which forms a fertile
field for fungous growth ana the en-
trance of borers. In short time
the decay resulting from the open
wound is carried to the heart of the
tree.
All cuts should be made close to
and even with the trunk. All parts
of the wound are then In most init
mate relations with the body of the
tree, which supplies the material to
be used in covering the exposed sur
face, and in few years it will heal
by the growth of new bark. The
scar should be painted with coal-tar
to prevent the checking and decay OF
the wood while healing.
Even II the necessity OF removing q
limb close to the trunk Is well under
stood, great injury is liable to result
to the tree IL the cut is not properly
made. When near the end Of the
cut the weight Of the limb caused II
to split, and great damage resulted
from the, stripping of the bark. A
safe way, perhaps, of removing limb
would be to cut it off about two feel
from the shoulder. and then remove
the stub. While 1t would be safe
way, it would not be the easiest OF
most practicable way. The green
wood across the junction of two
branches is very tough, in which the
saw binds, no matter how
coarse a set it may have. It is de.
stable to utilize the weight of the
branch to spread the saw cut; but, al
the same time the splitting of the
wood must be guarded against, 9th.
revise the tree might be injured.
There are two methods o. Saving
off limb properly. Begin with q
cut on the under side of the linn
about o;ob+ incboa from the shorJder