The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-07-18

(By A. W. BRAYTON of Ogle County,
ILL.,, in Farmers Review
The matter of getting young trees
into proper form sometimes requires
quite a little ingenuity on the part of
| the grower. Young trees frequently
have a tendency to grow into abDor-
| NAL shapes. 1t becomes the duty then
| of the orchardist to train them into
proper shape. Sometimes limbs that
start out from the trunk in the cor
rect place take a downward shoot or
| an inward growth. Either of these, If
| allowed to grow without help, would
| either badly deform the tree or neces-
| state cutting off the limbs later on.
The downward-growing limb can
| readily be taught it's place by tenn
porary support. Some use prop from
| the ground. This is not very salts
| factory, as it is likely to be shaken
| down by the wind. If the limb is
small and making rapid growth, a
better way is to support it by a strong
string or small rope, fastened to the
| trunk, or to some larger limb above.
| One seasons growth will usually con-
| firm the. habit of more upright growth,
so the cord or rope can be removed
| before serious damage is done to the
bark. In the case of larger branches,
. where the weight is considerable, it is
well to put pieces of folded burlap IN
der the rope.
In the matter of an ingrowing limb
| just the opposite method must be en-
| njnunH Snrnn of 10
| limb out to its proper place and hold
| ing it there is necessary. A good
brace for this purpose, in very small
trees, is a joint of cornstalk. The
stalk should be cut as long as neces-
sary and a notch cut in each end, so
| it will remain in position. The limb
| is then forced out and one end Of the
stalk placed against it and the other
| end against the body of the tree or
some large limb. The soft pith of the
| stalk will not be injurious to the bark.
The supporting Of limbs overloaded
| with fruit is different matter. TheO~
| retically there should be no such
| limbs. Everyone knows that fruit
| should be thinned so that the support
sary. This would mean larger fruit,
less damage to the tree, and perhaps
| assure annual bearing. However, few
of US can bring ourselves to the Gus
tom of thinning. Either we think we
do not have time, or that it is too
| expensive, or, as is probably the fact,
we do not have the courage to pick
nff hn frr1it
| of these are mistakes and we know
| it, yet we continue to allow our trees
| to Overbear. Since we do this it is
| well to look into the various methods
of supporting the trees. The oldest
and most common method is to use
props Gig. u. These are cheaply
made from 1-by-3-inch boards, cut in
| lengths to suit. In some cases no
other form of support is feasible. 1t
| Is method, however, to which many
| objections can be made. One of these
| Is that the wind is likely to displace
| them, and that, too, in time of storms,
| when they are most needed. Another
| objection is that they are absolutely
rigid, and on this account often cause
Tic 4llllo W III tSih OIl at pO1uL u SOll-
tact with the prop. This can be over
come somewhat by allowing the limb
| to droOp in an even slant from the tree
| over the prop to space beyond, SO as
| not to make square downward pres
| sure at point of contact.
A better method of supporting over
loaded limbs, and especially the larger
| ic INV yujrnc from in
limbs on one side of tree to screw eyes
| in limbs on the other side. Gig. p
| From No. u to No. 9 wire can be used
| The screw eyes should be strong, the
| size depending on the size of limb to
| be supported. Sometimes it is neces-
| Sary to run two wires across and
! twist these together with a stick be-
| tween them. In case of trees with a
main trunk running we'll up in center
| these wires can be adjusted from it.
| No fear need arise that the screw
| eyes will hurt the trees. The wood
| will soon grow around them, and in
| time cover them over. Another man.
ner of applying this principle which
| has worked well with me on plum
| trees is to stand 2-by-4 along the side
of the tree Drive a 20-penny nail in
| the end, run wires from this out to
screw eyes on limbs as needed, Gig. 81.
| In case one should not have the screw
| eyes, or not want to risk putting them
| In the limbs, wires can be put around
| them if they are protected from cut
| ting the bark. A good means of doing
| this is 10 use short sections Of old
| garden hose. Run the wire through
! this.
The injury from overloads of fruit
on poorly supported trees is some
| times very great, even to the entire de-
Struction of the trees We have saved
such trees by use of props, and we
have lost them when, during storm,
| the wind displaced the props. In my
| pear orchard all of the trees were well
| supported by props, but small tor
nado came along and in few minutes
| so shook these trees as to throw nearly
all the props down, and the weight of
the pears then crushed the trees to
| the ground. In that portion of the
orchard where wires were used the
| damage was comparatively light. A
Fruit Yields.