The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-02-13
PRUNING 80 YEAR
OLD APPLE TREES

NAAaEsNAH-++ ~ ~AA-HfA-N
Last week the writer reviewed the
fundamentals In pruning young trees
still IN the formative period from one
to FIVE Years of age We now desire
20 consider briefly few points regard
ing the pruning Of trees between five
and ten wears old. These trees should
have good trunks and scatfold branch
es. In other words. We have been
training the tree 10 desired shape
and. Incidentally, for strength. Inc
trees now enter what may be termed
/ transition stage which borders on wood
production on the one hand and fruit
production on the other. From now
on, two factors must be kept in mind
I the pruner must not only continue TO
train his tree for several years. but he
must keep in mind how the tree func
tions under different methods of prun
ing. Viii the kind of pruning done
force the trees energy into continued
wood growth only, or will it induce the
rapid and numerous formation of fruit
spursG Right here is where the grower
should make up his mind what he
wants to do aud adapt his practices
accordingly. Incidentally. he should.
IS has been often suggested in pre-
NOUS writings, remember that pruning
IS bat one factor in determining hOx
the tree is going to behave. he should
keep in mind how he intends to handle
the soil, irrigate. etc. and to what
extent one practice is intended to
supplement another.
If Young trees have been handled
properly as suggested in last weeks
issue, ana especially, If summer prun-
ng has been taken advantage of,
great many fruit spurs should have
already been formed The aim from
now on. in the judgment of the writer,
should be to hasten the formation of
more spurs. Furthermore, remember
| Ink that spurs do not bear fruit every
year, the aim should be to secure two
0r three times as many spurs as fruits
apabIe of being borne. AS the trees
| become older, an even wider ratio
,h0lld be maintained No particular
system of pruning trees from five to
/ ten years Of age is emphasized. Gen.
rally speaking. it will consist Of thin
ainS out and heading back as occasion
| nay demand.
With Newtowns especially, don't
year old growths, especially in the
center of the tree. These will range
from five to ten inches long. Many Of
these have terminal fruit bud. With
vigorous trees Of this age much fruit
S borne ia this way. Not much prun-
ng on trees Of this age is ordinarily
necessary to induce good size in fruit
| which is the main consideration in
.his variety. Probably the better way
to handle such growths is to leave
them alone or several years until they
become long and unmanageahle IN
The meantime many fruit spurs will
nave formed on the older wood Thin,
Is occasion may demand, head back as
necessary, to stiilen the growth and
encourage spurs to remain vigorous
and productive. This advice, Of course.
does not apply to the longer and stout
er enc year old shoots which tend to
shape the tree. These must be headed
back and thnned out to conform to the
principal of training explained last
week and to allow light to enter the
center of the tree.
With Spitzenburgs, less thinning out
and more heading back will rule.
lonathans, which bear fruit buds on
the one year oil growth and come into
nearing early should not be headed
pack too severely if this important
3oilt is to be taken advantage of.
Wtcle trees continue in excessive
wood growth and little fruit produc
tion at the age Of eight years and older
the cause may usually be traced to
over -timulation. This may be due to
oyer pruning, over tillage or over irri-
cation. The remedy is to remove the
cause whatever it may be and prune
.eyeral times year. In this way the
stlmu us caused by pruning may be
distributed over longer period.
Where summer pruning IS done for
trees Of tins class, light pruning may
be giyeu IN June. This may be fol
lowed up by light pruning when the
terminal bud is forming and again in
winter. These points, in the main,
viii enable the pruner to keep his
trees in balance, which, in the last
analysis, is freedom from extremes.