Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-20
All Around the Place.


Maryland and Virginia horticultur-
lists and orchardists will find much
valuable information In the following
advice on pruning young fruit trees,
the article having been written by Prof.
A. w. Drinkard. horticulturist at Vir-
GINA Polytechnic Institute. Blacks
burg. Va:
"At this season of the year, when
little else can be done on the farm, the
fruit grower should use the time for
pruning the fruit trees. This should
be finished. If possible, before giving
the dormant spray. which is usually
applied in late winter OF early spring.
in order to economic on labor and
spray material
Several definite objects may be ac-
complished by pruning. % The trees
may be trained to some desired form.
which is especially applicable to the
young trees. (2) BY judicious pruning
the tree may be protected, through the
removal OF dead and diseased branches,
~ Sometrmes pruning may be used TO
long been known that pruning in late
winter and early spring has a tendency
to promote the growth Of woody parts
c Q. me Tree Io ~ In exceptional cases
TO mature the tree and promote fruit
fitness.
The fruit grower must decide
early the system of training which he
will employ. The two systems most
commonly com followed in this state are,
because the scaffold branches are al
lowed to develop on the trunk at a
common point, thus forming a crotched
shaft avs .,ee' and second the central
iaIerai branches are permitted to de-
veIop along the central trunk or stem,
and iI kent .. branches an being well spaced
me leader or central stem. Both of
tnese systems have their adyantae yes
ana disadvantases: and the system of
pruning is not as important as certain
other fundamental principles discussed
below. u'eeusseo
I'd The scafrold branches should be
pc IN such way that they will
portion should be maintained in such a
way tnat one branch will NOT on, :
grow the other. (3) Great care sbouId
ne taken to secure proper angles in
. .n oancnes; never permit a sharp
singled branch to develop on the trunk
because 1t splits too readily whan
heavily loaded.
founs trees which are set in the fall
i should not be pruned until the follow
be pruned at the time of settinS
Many fruit growers aer now using one
year :old trees for planting. and the
pruning which these, trees require ia
70 De cut back to stubs eighteen to
c ca,r.y. i nc In height. Low heading
lower part Of the trunk, thereby form
ing low-headed, tree, which ia prefer-
able to the high-headed tree.
>. During the early years of the trees
life. small amount of summer nr,,n
ming. disbudding and pinchine 81 shoots
may De practfced in order to secure the
proper placing of branches and ire
vent the development of superf1uous
SHOOTS. The main annual pruning
snouio De given in late winter or
spring. and should consist of thinning
ana heading in the branches, the LAT.
Ter. 10 produce stockiness Care shomid
pc taken to keep the branches pronerIv
re!ated to one another. They NAV be
leIt tnicker while the tree is young
wnen the tree grows older"
The ak has no place in the orchard
as pruning tool u
Buy only the very best vegetable
seeds 1t pays even il thew Do cost
more than the inferior sorts
Inc AMOR river privet is a splendid
ornamental hedge to plant It holds its
leaves throughout winter and can be
pruned to any desired form.
Inc pest variety of Irish potatoes
Tor spring planting is one that ia earIy
ana that produces the maximum num,
t per .s o. msolum- sized, smooth potatoes
and Cobbler. oi'ss
Evergreens: sucn as pines. masnolias.
ana arbor vitae, may be transplanted
VIII" oeeter success now than in spring.
Manure for rhe garden should be fine
ana well rotted. Where you have only
iresh stable manure available. put it in
pile now. keeping 1t turned as often
as 1t begins to heat. Be careful not to
let It ferment. 1t is not advisable to
use fresh stable manure under a gar
den crop unless the manure has been
thoroughly incorporated with the soil.
Whether we use registered seed. good
grade seed or poor seed the cost OF
PRODUCTION is the same. but the returns
are different. Why not, then, use the
seed which will give us the greatest
profits?
If proper cultural methods are prac-
ticed and good registered seed sown
ing yields of sixty-ave bushels of oats
per acre. and in some cases a much
higher yield may be secured under
favorable conditions This grain should
give at least so per cent marketable
seed. depending of course on the sea-
son. The price received for the best
seed varies somewhat, depending upon
supply and demand: perhaps 80 cents
per bushel would be a fair average
price. Some growers. however. receive
$1.26 per bushel for small lots of choice
seed oats. At these figures. then. We
would have thirty nine bushels of seed
OATS and twenty-six bushels of feeding
oats in addition to the straw from one
acre. Or to state the case more con-
cretely the feeding oats and the straw
would almost pay the total cost of pro-
alton of the land. The thirty-nine
bushels of seed should give a return
of $40 to $40. II the total yield of
sixty five bushels was sold for feeding
purposes it would realize not more
than SIS. With poor seed there would
not have been sixty-f1ve bushels to sell
Thus it is quite evident that seed
ness.
As a result of extensive tests of varie-
ties Of cereals conducted by the Depart
nent of Agriculture at Arlington, Va.
and in cooperation with the MARYLAND
Park. Md. the following varieties are
recommended for eastern and southern
MARYLAND and eastern Virginia:
Winter wheat-China, Fulcaster. DietZ
Fultz, purple straw, bearded winter ME
and bearded purple straw.
Winter rye-Giant winter, Virginia win
Ter and AbzuZzes.