Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-19
THE PROPER KIND PRUNING PROFITABLE ORCHARD

Pruning IS one of the three founda-
| ton stones upon which rests the
| protita bleness of the orchard. 1t goes
hand Ia hand with spraying and TIL
/ ing in building up an orchard capable
Of yielding big crops OF high quality
| fruit. Pruning is an essential factor
IN the N-.nagement OF al kinds OF
fruit. Il is as important in black
] berry plantation as in an apple or
1 chard. Tt has as much to do with
| profltableness Of 81 peach orchard as
| 1t has with pears or cherries. II Is
as important in a one-year-o or
chard as in the Que that is mature
and must he done Systematically
every year.
But, unlike many other operations
in the management Of an orchard
pruning cannot be done by rule OF
thumb. No hard and fast formula
can be written which win apply
equally we'll to all varieties under all
conditions. Principles can be laid
down, but any rules that may be
made will have so many exceptions
they become useless. No one has vet
discovered the best way to prune
a tree, and for the same reason that
no one has yet discovered the best
way to train a boy or gii}. Rules that
will apply to one individual fail With
some other individual. And because
Of this any discussion Of pruning
must have very broad application
and cover the general principles of
the opera ton. or else be so very mar
row their application Is extremely
limited. There are two Fundamental
reasons Tor pruning around watch all
the notifications of the operation are
based. These reasons age to enable
the tree TO produce fruit Of a SD
perior quality and to modify tho
shape of the bush or tree.
Effect on the Fruit.
Pruning has u distinct effect on lie
fruitfulness NJ a tree. r. done ex-
eessively q growth OF suckers or
waterspruuts is induced, and if
omitted altogether the size OF the
individual fruit will be decreased or
undercolored. The dormant season
is the most satisfactory time for the
pruning OF most orchard fruits. Then
the framework of the tree can be
seen to the best advantage, and the
necessary branches removed with the
least effort.
IN any sort Of pruning ii is neces- |
sary for the orchard man to have
some definite ideal in mind. The tree
must be OF some definite shape, and
every tree SO pruned as to conform
most closely with that ideal. But
every tree cannot be made exactly
the same as every other tree. any
more than every man can be made |
the same size OF shape of every other
man. Each tree has characteristics |
of its Own, and each variety likewise !
has a definite habit of form Some |
varieties Of apples such as Yellow |
Transparent, produce an upright ,
growth not very different from pear !
trees. on the other hand. varieties |
like Parago or Ninesap, are wide
spreading. Because Of this difference
the shape that may be ideal for one
variety is not always the ideal for
another.
To Prevent Overlooking.
But in any event. one Of the objects
In pruning is to keep the branches
from becoming too long and putting
them in danger of breaking under a
heavy load Of fruit. One of the rea-
sons why it is necessary to prop the
branches when heavily loaded with
fruit is because they have not been
pruned in such a way that they are
self-supporting. In one of the accom-
panying illustrations will be seen a
Missouri pippin orchard in which the
branches have been allowed to grow |
They are very long and |
slender When loaded with fruit they |
are bent over and in great danger Of !
breaking. But in the other illustra- |
ton notice how the branches have |
been cut back The limbs were long |
and slender. but they have been cut
off, and such twigs as remain cannot
produce enough weight in fruit and
foliage to break these strong substan-
tial limbs.
Such pruning as is shown IN the