The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-01-16
HOW TO PRUNE MA
TURE APPLE TREES


Foreword. Ii is the aim Of the
writer to cover the more important
Dhases of pruning fruit trees during
the next few weeks. These articles
will take up the subject of pruning
mature trees such as apple, pear.
cherry, prune. peach and other stone
fruits. Later the pruning of such
trees Yet in the formative period will
be taken up These articles will ap-
pear IN weekly installments In this
paper or through the columns of the
Farmers and Fruit Growers Guide.
Should more detailed advice be sought
or more rapidly than these weekly
articles provide. shall be glad 10 take
the matter up with the grower as
occasion may demand.
The aim in this short article is to
throw few hints upon the subject of
winter pruning. particularly apples Of
bearing age. This seems the logical
thing TO do since it is presumed most
growers will wait until later to prune
Young trees. Why do we prunef Pri-
marily with trees of say eight to
twelve or fifteen years of age when
Dig crops may be expected, the aim
will be to increase or at least maintain
the fruitlng habit. At the same time
the idea of properly training the tree
'hould not be lost sight Of This lat
ter has to do with keeping the tree in
proper shape so as to insure ease in
picking, spraying, propping, etc.
First, let us consider how the tree
functions under different kinds of
pruning. Pruning may be classified in
two different ways: from the stand
point of methods employed and degree
10 which employed. The grower may
thin. head, or combine the two. Fur
thermore this may be light operation
or it may be severe approaching what
may be termed Bulk Pruning" I'm
Ter what conditions may these differ
ent practices be employed? Let US
.irst consider the Average tree. In
most cases trees are pruned more or
less regularly and no specific problem
is involved There are fair number
f fruit spurs of average vigor and
moderate pruning, sufficient to keep
he tree open will suffice This may
be simply lightly thinning cut of a few
interfering branches and heading back
o desirable laterals so as to insure
orrect form. On the other hand there
are specific problems which require
special treatment, although the princl-
ples involved do not differ. Where
Spitzenhergs have been permitted to
make excessive terminal growth to
such an extent that practically all of
the newer fruit spurs are on the end
)f long pole-llke branches where fruit
is least easily borne without expensive
cropping. special problem is involved.
Furthermore older and lower spurs on
the main limbs are missing either
through excessive shading which has
aused gradual elimination or by me-
chanical injury. During our last har-
4esting season vast numbers OF spurs
we're lost through carelessness or pick
ng before the fruit was fully mature.
How is the grower to overcome this
| situation? The writer confesses that
this is probably the most difficult and
perpIexing problem with which the
pruner has 20 deal. He has often been
advised to prune back hard to a desira-
| BILE lateral. The advice is excellent
since it is recognized that the influence
Of such cuttings near the cut. in this
way new growth may be secured which
would be possible in no other way. In
cidentally it may be mentioned the
longer this is put off the harder ulti-
mately the problem will be to remedy
a constantly increasing Undesirable
condition of growth.
The point most urgently cited now is ::
nnp tyty thic oil ,t ho
tree during one season. To do so would
throw trees out of bearing for some
time il not cause greater harm. Bet.
| ter choose one or two of the worst
offending limbs to start with and in a
year or so correct faults found other
limbs. The process may require four
or five years for safety. Better be on
the safe side Remember that the un-
desirable conditions were brought about
gradually and remedy should not be
too hastily sought.
| Newtowns, Of course, represent q
different problem. The trees are nat
urally given to lateral growth and if
excessive heading back is practiced it
becomes a brush heap. There are many
orchards in which trees have not been
pruned for a number of years and the
result has been that big portion Of
The lower and inner parts of the tree
have become barren through excessive
shading. The only thing to do, of
course. is to open up the tree and give
the lower buds a chance. If big crop
is in prospect no harm will result in
fairly heavy cutting, provided it is
properly distributed. In all pruning
done. the aim should be to keep in
mind to what extent the operation will
save in thinning costs next summer.
With this tree there are many short
branches on the end of which a ter
minal fruit bud is formed. Be careful
not to remove too many of these, but
where the growth becomes long and
whippy do not hesitate to cut back to
some fruit spur or lateral. In this way
considerable thinning may be accom-
pisehd and the future growth properly
directed.
Continued next week.