Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-11
HORTICULTURE E. H. 5sow
TIMELY SUGGESTIONS REGARDING PRUNING

thermore, each bud that is left on
last years canes may be expected nor
mally TO develop into a shoot that will
produce two lunches OF fruit that
same year. Hence We may give as
very simple rule in pruning-take off
oil the cane growth of last year ex-
cept sufficient to bear twelve to TWEEN
ty-fve buds. II every cane is cut back
TO two buds. this will often make the
number about right. This seems like
severe treatment, but the result will
be not only a lessened number OF clus-
ters but proportional increase in the
size of those clusters which do ma
ture, so that as many pounds OF fruit
will be produced as if all the buds
were left intact The limiting factor
&c the number of pounds OF fruit
grown is Of course the variety charac-
teristic and the soil condition, rather
than the number OF shoots borne.
Training for Form.
AS was said before, the expert grow
er has in his mind some conception of
the way he wishes to train the vines
to the wires. If wires are used, and
they are found very satisfactory, there
should be Of course the main stalk
of the vine leading up to the bottom
wire; this will give chance to lead
two of last years canes in opposite
directions on the bottom horizontal
wire. The rest OF the vine may then
be cut away. During the summer, the
shoots arising from these two canes
may be tied up TO the second and third
wires, in q more or less vertical posi-
ton.
If the vines have never been trained
to any ideal. however, 1T will often be
advisable to try and renew the whole
system. The writer pruned some vines
last year that had been left to them
selves until the young bearing wood
was thirty feet away from the roots,
If the vines were only untangled and
Strengthened out and tied up. Such
condition may be remedied In two
years by selecting sucker that
springs In vigorous fashion from the
base OF the plant, and cutting off all
the rest of the thick. long, and naked
stems. The buds on this sucker will
rise to number of canes which the Sec
ond year will furnish material to Sc
lect from according to some system of
training that will confine the bearing
surface within reach OF the wires
near the roots OF the plant
Time For Pruning.
Unlike the peach and apple, the
grape cannot be left until after the
sap flows before the necessary prun-
ing is done. The vines will bleed If
cut much after the first week in April,
and the best time to prune is before
any danger of spring thaws and sap
runs. Where much of ii has to be
done Ii can be undertaken in the dead
Of winter or even the previous autumn
and we have frequently seen growers
who were forced to shovel away some
OF the snow about the vines in order
to get the pruning started early
enough.
Pruning the Apple.
One of our friends in Benzie Coun-
ty has been growing apples for forty
years, and never pruned them once.
He has "a young Jonathan and Bald
win orchard that has never seen
knife or saw. although the trees are
now ten years old. Nature is allowed
to run her course, assisted however,
by very thorough spraying. We do
not often see orchardists who argue
against pruning as being unnatural
and unnecessary. However. as Bailey
calls TO our minds In his book on prun-
ing, pruning Is not an unnatural pro-
cess, but rather just the opposite" j
the struggle for existence, not all the
branches on a tree can grow, and some
must die from lack of air and sun
shine, followed by disease. SO we may
believe as was shown to the writer by
working in the above mentioned or
chard that even the neglected trees
are pruned somewhat. The old dead
twigs and branches on these trees
were puncturing the fruits, and shut
ting out the air and sun from the live
wood, however, so that most Of us
who worked In that orchard thought
we would rather assist nature by prun-
ing as well as spraying.
What to Take Out.
AS a student OF the Agricultural
College the writer had given him in a
few sentences some rules for pruning
that have never been forgotten. I'VE
must take out first" said Prof c. II.
Halligan, "all dead wood; second, all
diseased and dying wood; third, water
sprouts and suckers; fourth, branches
that are rubbing against each other
or otherwise interfere with each
others growth; fifth, branches that
are growing from the outside towards