The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-01-05

prepared by the United States Department
Of Agriculture
The extensive injury TO fruit trees
In Wisconsin and parts of Michigan
by the recent ice in late February
has brought inquiries to the United
States Department Of Agriculture as
to the best methods of treating these
trees and repairing the damage. The
following suggestions are made by the
department and apply mainly to the
apple but are applicable to the cherry
and other fruit trees.
The best thing to do with apple,
cherry and other fruit trees which
have their branches broken down or
split and injured by snow and ice, is
first to give them a very careful prun-
ing, and, second, to use, as far as pos
sible, methods of tree surgery to en-
able them to repair and outgrow the
injury.
Proper Methods in Pruning.
The pruning of an injured fruit tree
with part of Its branches broken out
requires more cutting and more skill
ful pruning than an ordinary normal
tree. Each tree presents more or
less an individual problem, depending
on how severely 1t is injured. When
n side Of the tree has been badly
smashed, the other side may require
more than normal heading back to
attempt to balance the fruit top, at
least eventually. Sometimes long.
slender branches have escaped. and
these likewise require more heading
back, and this may be needed a Sec
ond and third year before the top of
the tree can be shaped into anything
like the normal. Water sprouts on
the stubs of branches which in ordi-
nary pruning would be removed, should
be mostly left on an injured tree. In
dlvidual water sprouts properly locatl
ed to form new branches NAV be Sc
lected, headed back slightly If too long,
n encouraged to grow into new
limbs. Stubs from six inches to a foot
or more In length should not usually
be sawed off on these crippled trees
II they are In the right location for
future framework branches. The
ends should be neatly sawed or
with a knife and the stub left
to throw a mass OF sprouts. as il
usually VIII do If the top has been
pretty generally taken out or removed
by breaking and pruning.
D~ehorning or pruning the main
branches to stubs Is often purposely
by orchardists to renew the
OPP, and essentially the same methods
an be applied in part, even though
ne dehorning Is forced In this ease.
there are any small spurs
II branches on the remaining stubs. ,
hey should be left to get out new /,
Wig growth promptly. Apple trees, ,
specially, sprout very freely from the =
ranches, even though they may be !,
$ large as ones arm or larger. 50 :,
nat where there are no spurs or small =
ranches, still new growth is likely TO =
e produced. =
Whlle abnormally slender. high =
ranches or extra long lateral branch -
$ may require heading in to balance =,
p me tree, 1t Is well to leave as much 3.
possible of the top and not try TO n,
D all the balancing up and headline =,
ack in q single year. 1t will a NJ ~
asst three years to build a new head =,
4 I ten-year apple tree which has mr.
zen badly broken up. -
rec Surgery Methods Suggested. nj
Trees with split forks or large 20
ounds made by branches being brok- ",
out tearing and stripping of bark ha
ID wood from the main branch or or
a'n trunk, and trees with their tons
lashed down beyond recovery pre-
MT problems of tree surgery not COW go,
by ordinary or extraordinary In,
uning- Each case requires more or ma
IS special treatment. A Jew types Of ne,
pair work may be mentioned: in
Young fruit trees under six years he
age, or even older when they are eitI
var