Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-26
Pruning, Fertihzing and Cultivating
A. Peach Orchard

After the young tree has been
planted it should receive it's first
pruning. This will consist of cut
ting off practically all of the top,
leaving stick of switch from IL
to IS inches tall. During the early
part of the following season an eff
fort should be made to go through
the orchard from time to time and
rub off the unnecessary shoots that
start near the ground. If the tree
grows too spindling, it is advisable
to head it back during the growing
season.
Generally speaking, no pruning is
done until the following winter after
setting the tree. The grower then
picks out the scaffold limbs of the
future plant. From three to five
branches should be selected. They
should be distributed about the
main trunk, and limbs should be
chosen that do not form crotches
either with other limbs or with
the trunk. After three to five scat
fold limbs have been picked out, all
the others should be removed, and
the scaffold limbs pruned back from
one-half to two-thirds of their en-
tire growth. Be careful not to leave
any stumps of limbs on the young
tree and cut out all limbs above a
bud, so there will be no dying-bacll
Of the twigs the following season.
Prune with Care.
In selecting the main limbs, he
sure not to leave one in the center
of the tree. The following winter 8
pruning will consist of thinning out
the unnecessary limbs, those that
give promise of growing across
through the head of the tree or of
interfering with another as they
grow larger, removing the thick
brush that sometimes grows in the
head Of the young plant and in cut
ting back the remaining growth from
one-fourth to one-half, depending
upon the vigor of the growth of the
last season. Weak trees should be
cut back heavier than vigorous
plants.
It must be remembered. in prun-
ing trees, that the fruit is produced
on the wood that grew last season;
the fruit buds are easily distinguish
able, consequently all pruning of the
aged bearing orchard resolves itself
into keeping the head open, in thin
ming out the undesirable twigs and
limbs, and in heading back in order
to produce a lateral growth upon
which the fruit buds will be formed
Keep the heads of the trees low, and
shade the main limbs and trunk.
If a tree gets old and Is not doing
well, it is sometimes dehorned; tina;
is, the main limbs are cut back tc
within one or two feet Of the main
trunk and the tree is given a year
In which to form a new head. Never
use an axe on q tree, but always a
saw. If the limb is SO large thar II
cannot be easily removed by, a pole
primer or a pair of hand shears, saw
1t or. When cutting a large limb
f1rst saw on the under side so as
to avoid peeling of the bark when
the limb falls away from the plant
II pruning In an orchard that Is
badly infected with scale and dis
eases, it Is advisable to disinfect the
Pruning tools when going from one
tree to another. This disinfectine
may be- done by using a, Ii per cent
1ormaln solution or one TO one
thousand cynadid of mercury solu.
ton.
301oe 02a4n &uleE
There are principles Of PRUNING
that should be well understood
First. that the heavy pruning of the
top Of a tree, causes it to produce
more lateral growth The tree tina
is pruned in the winter has a ten.
dency to increase the production Of
wood. On the other hand, if the
tree Is growing TOO rapidly, summer
pr un1ng has a tendency to retar6
wood growth and may increase fruit.
fulnes. There is no special time tt
prune trees, though most Of the
pruning is. done in "a Georgia during
the winter months when other wort
on the farm is slack. Where a large
production Of fruit buds Is made
| during the season, by judicious
pruning the crop Of the coming veal
may be reduced SO as not to over,
| load the tree.
There will be found in this bulle.
tin letters from practical peach
growers throughout the state. :-a, I,
VIII be seen from these that there
seems to be no general rule to b.
followed on the question of fertili
zers for peach trees. Each grower
| seems 20 have his own formula ant
| to apply different amounts. Peaches
take more fertility out of the sol
than corn or small grains. A study
| Of the analysis of peaches will shoN
that potash, is very essential, Ex
perfments at the college orchard
have demonstrated that nitrogen al
so pays when applied to peacf
trees. Under present conditions
potash is almost unobtainab1e, bu-
it is to be hoped that these condi
lions will not last any great length
| of time. Generally speaking, a peact
fertilizer should run about pei
cent nitrogen, to 10 per cent phos
| phoric acid and to s per CEN
| potash. The fertilizer recommended
! several years ago by the Georgia
| experiment station consisted of 1Ot
pounds of cotton seed meal, 100
pounds muriate of potash and 31(
pounds phosphoric acid, 16 per cent
This supplies all the potash ant
| phosphoric acid necessary, but is
rather light in nitrogen. running :
little over per cent. It takes 60l
pounds Of this material to replenisf
| the potash taken out from the sol
by an orchard in bearing. Nitrogen
| can be supplied 20 peach trees
through the use of a leguminous
cover crop and at less cost than II
chemicals. Besides the nitrogen, the
| cover crop will also improve The
soils physical condition through the
addition of organic matter. the
| value Of which it is not possible tt
calculate in dollars and cents
Use Of Fertilizers
Fertilizers are applied eithe,
broadcast or in concentric circles
about the trees. When applied broad.
| cast, it will take about 700 pounds
of the above fertilizer. If used ir
concentric circles about the trees
an application Of five pounds to the
tree should be sufficient. It is vel
to apply fertilizers in the spring
directly after the orchard is Flowed
TIE opinions Of the growers, whose
letters appear in this bulletin. show
that they do not think it advisabl