The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1916-07-14
Tho Sun Special Service.

WASlilNGTON. -. c.. july To-
Aiter the young trees are In the
ground. one OF the first operations
Which demands the careful affection OF
the orchardist IL 90 head the trees
BACK 10 the desired height. Farmers
bulletin No. ~. Growing Fruit For
Home Use In the Great Plains Area.
states that under great plains condi.
tons the main stem or trunk of the
ire" should not exceed two or two
and hall feet In height measuring
from the surface uf the ground after
the Tree b. planted. In many cases
the heads may well be fo.mcd even
lower than this. a. trees with low
heads are not 49, likely to be injured
by the sun or wind. Although there
h considerable difference uf opinion
az Co the proper method Of shaping
the permanent head ut the tree. con.
ditions In the great plains area are
such, says the bulletin. that an open
heed which develops from Few main
branches u preferable 60 one 10 man.
aged that " becomes dense and bushy
To develop an open head. only four
to six branches should be- left when
the tree IL pruned at the time Il II
planted. or when u is formed later "
one-yeaf.old arces have been used
Thcs, branches should be- selected
with view Co their position on the
trunk. They uhould be arranged
symmotricaily and spirally about the
trunk and should start from different
levels. thus leaving some space VERT.
cally between the different limbs. ~
two limbs branch from the trunk az
the same level there H. much more
danger that they will split down In
later years under the weight OF a
large crop Of fruit or during a heavy
wind than when the formation IL as
suggested above. The branches sell
ccted for the permanent top OF two
yesr.old tree should be cut back con-
siderably at the time the tree IL plant
ID. " the tree has made fairly
vigorous growth In the nurcry In the
preceding season. nnc.half or two
thirds of the length. as rule. may
be- cut away This viii tend a. make
the branches strong and Etocky rather
than slender and "lrgEN.' as when no
cutting back u done.
y TO TiIiagr Operations.
Tn. tnlagc or cultivation at fruit
garden or orchard In the great plains
region should BE- very thorough and
should be- continued fairly lat. In the
season. Tho ground should be- gone
over frequently enough to destroy
weeds before they have made any
considerable growth. 90 prevent the
soil from blowing, and to insure ag-
ainst any runon during heavy show
srs The growing Of cover crops and
green manure crops H. not recon-
mCnded. 40 thele crops draw ~ heav.
u.s. on the moisture IN the soil az 60
oyerbalnnce any benefits which they
ordinarily give In maintaining the fer
tility OF orchard soil In humid and
irrigated sections. The humus fur
nishcd by such crops IN sections where
they can be grow n must be- supplied
her. by applying manure or vegetable
matter In some other form. For a
similar reason the interplanting Of
crops between the rows of trees In
young orchards. AZ h. commonly done
In commercial fruitgrowing sections,
cannot b. recommended In this area.
Pruning of Fruit Trees,
Keen the top of the tree fuffi.
cirntly open 60 admit air and sun
shine freely" II cardinal rule 60 fol-
low In pruning fruit trees. says the
bulletin. one Of the commonest
faults e. be- found with fruit trees on
many ranches In the great plains
area, and elsewhere for that matter,
il the density Of the tops. This fault
II the natural consequence OF plant
lng trees without properly forming
the heads at the time they are set
out. and Ut improper pruning or no
pruning az all In after years, The
BULLETIN gives these reasons why sys-
tematic annual pruning should be
done;
Firu-Every branch h reaching
out for sunlight " IN" top h suffi-
clently open 81 that every leaf re-
reivss its full complement Of sun
shin, there h less competition among
the different branches than where the
top b. very dense,
Srrond-With the decreased y'rug-
4. -.