Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1915-01-29
PRUNING TREES
FOR FRUIT At
EVERY SEASON
NECESSARY TO THIN so THAT
TREES WILL NEVER BE GREAT
LY OVERTAXED.

want to give briefly my plan Of prun-
ing for fruit every year, and while
I recognize that it viii not be appica-
bic to all conditions. yet I am sure
that it is worthy Of the consideration
Of every practical fruit grower. From
the planting of the orchard up 10 the
third or fourth year 1 desire strong,
vigorous growth, and while / do not
save even one-haif If the first two
years growth. it must be strong
enough TO provide the scahold limbs
of the trees. From this time forward
permit fruitirs wood to form, and
even permit the tree 30 bear limited
quantities Of fruit, recognizing in this
the one fact that il is the establish
ing relation Of balance Of nature
between wood formation and fruit
production. q balance that must never
afterward be disturbed or broken.
Trees brought into bearing in this
manner can readily be forced by sys-
tematic pruning to produce annual
crops. While those compelled to. pro-
duce large size and great quantities
of wood up to the fifth and six ger
without producing fruit come into
bearing with a bang, produce a big
crop. exhaust themselves ard take the
next year or two to recuperate and
then they DO the same thing over
again. The good orcAardist then says
i. is not natural for these trees TO-
produce big crop annually. and
an sure we ali agree with them.
Balance of Nature
The first and essential thing to do
with tree large enough to bear IS
to establish the balance Of nature.
This may be accomplished by using
one or more Of the following meth
DDS: First, checking wood growth by
means Of clover, alfalfa or some
other crop; second, cease to do heavy
winter pruning; third, put into opera
ton a systematic plan for both win
ter and summer pruning. After es-
tabushing the balance of nature.
maintain it constantly, permitting the
trees to produce only sufficient
growth annually to keep the trunks
and large limbs in perfect condition,
replace any breaks or losses and fur
nish enw bearing wood. This. then,
is the ideal condition. and if followed
up will compel annual fruitage.
The season following a heavy win
ter pruning is usually one of heavy
wood replacement, and find it very
difficult for a bearing tree to proAuce
q large quantity of wood and develop
a good crop of fruit buds at the same
time. and so. for this reason. where
bearing trees require heavy pruning, |
1 prefer to do it just at the close of
the summer growth period To most |
people this is summer pruning. How |
ever, to those who have made it a |
study it is only one phase of summer !
pruning, and that of pruning for fruit |
production. The plant l find that
gives the most uniform results is as
follows: During the winter remove |
all crossing. broken and diseased |
limbs. and do such branch-th thinning /
as is absolutely necessary, but never |
cut back unless it is for the purpose
of thickening the top Cd Just be-
fore the close of the growing season
(after the fruit buds have begun to
show) do the regular pruning. con-
sisting of the removing of crossing
broken and diseased limbs and any
necessary topping at this time nee
essary. 1 prefer that all limbs re-
moved he taken off close to the limb
from which they originate and that
no stubs be left. The exact or even
months for all districts this pruning
must be done cannot be foretold in
advance since it varies with districts.
methods of cultivation, irrigation ana
varieties. The only accurate way to
determine Just Wneh tree s"ON
pruned for fruit is by examining SEINE
of the fruit buds of the tree to deter
mine the stage of development OF the
embryo flower in the bud Just as
soon as the bud shows the least oe-
velopment of the flower. pruning VIII
aid the growth. Too early pruning
.ft1l
causes many of the buds which wouiu
naturally be fruit buds. but have not
developed sufficiently to expand as
fruit buds, while too late pruning mas
no effect whatever upon the undevel-
oped buds. The purpose, then' Oh
summer pruning for fruit is TO aecel-
crate the fruit bud growth and at the
same time retard wood growth
Irrigated Fruit.