Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-03-21
Agricultural Department
Conducted by C. W. PeHeft-As Agricultural Teacher
in Bedding High School

ing ruins as many trees as the neg
lect of pruning.
No two trees can be pruned exact
ly alike, if they are pruned correctly.
Nevertheless, there are a few prin-
ciples Of pruning which apply every
where.
The first rule is: Prune regularly
and lightly. The average home or
chard is neglected for three or four
years, then it is pruned too heavily.
The reason why the trees, after
severe pruning, make a very vigorous
growth of wood and cover the limbs
with suckers, is that nature is trying
to restore the balance between the
top Of the tree and it's roots. There
is only as much top as there are
rots to support it. If, then, a tree
loses third of its top by throat
pruning, the roots Immediately en-
deavor to restore the balance by
pushing out more top. Hence suck
ers and water sprouts.
The important point about this is
that when the tree is making such a
strenuous effort to regain its normal
balance, it is likely to be seriously
reduced in fruit bearing. Trees
which run to wood are not usually
fruitful. The water sprouts rob the
limbs of the nee Ssary food and re-
duce the size and duality of the fruit.
The Pruning of Young Trees
Begin with a tree set last spring.
1t was cut back severely when plant
ed, to equalize the loss of roots from
transplanting. This tree, with one
seasons growth, has seven to twelve
branches started. Select four or five
of the strongest to form the frame
work of the tree. No two of these
should be nearly opposite each other,
as this makes a bad crotch which
will be likely to split under stress Of
winds or heavy crop of fruit or ice.
Distribute these limbs over at least
fifteen inches of the trunk and let
them be on alternate sides if pos
sible. Head back the framework
limbs one-third to one-half and cut
the others close. The branches are
headed back to make the tree stocky.
At the end of the second seasons
growth it will be found that two or
three shoots have arisen from near
the Crd Of each framework iimh.
Save one or two of the best of these,
avoiding crotches; head them back
and cut out the rest.
After the second or third year it is
usually best to cease the heading in,
except as a special treatment for
shoots growing out of bounds. In
some sections peaches are headed
back annually to advantage.
The Pruning of Bearing Trees
First, cut out all dead limbs. They
are a menace to the tree as long as
they remain, breeding rot and often
parasitic diseases.
Second, where branches crowd,
cross or interlace, making in sum-
mer dense mass of foliage which
the sun cannot penetrate, do a little
thinning. Large, highly colored and
fine favored fruit cannot be produc-
ed in a tangle of branches and be-
meath a curtain Of leaves. This is
where fruit is covered with fungus,
also; the germs which cause fruit
diseases cannot grow without mois-
ture, and if the sun has chance to
dry off the foliage and fruit there is
sure to be less scabby and rotten
fruit. Thin out, but carefully. Think
twice before taking off any large
limb. See if you cannot save 1T by
taking off another smaller limb which
interferes with it. If tree is train
ed and pruned carefully from the
time it is set out there should be no
necessity for cutting off very large
limbs when it is old, except when
they die or become badly diseased.
The common mistake of trimming
up" fruit trees usually arises from
the fact that they were planted too
closely. Some home orchards look
as though they had been planted for
timber instead of fruit. When the
tops of trees begin to crowd they are
unsatisfactory in fruitage and hard
to handle. The best way to prune
such trees is to cut out every other
one and then prune and train for a
symmetrical, well-rounded tree that
can get plenty of air and sunlight.