The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1929-12-19

THE KENNEW
ed in. Here we would recommend
only the removal Of branches which
are very closely parallel to others
in the tree or interfering with the
branches will usually be found to
fruiting Of other branches. These
he the larger branches which it
was perfectly alright to leave when
the tree was small, thus not leav-
ing the branches too clost together,
but as the tree develops in size and
the branches lengthen and spread
out, they become too thick Those
which are the weaker or have the
poorest distribution on the trunk
should be removed. Some of these
large cherry trees also need thin
ming out in the top and this should
be done by the removal of the up
right to a point possibly six or
seven feet below the tip of the
branch and always cut off to
side branch. Possibly in another
year or two this cutting back can
be still lowered to another side
branch and in this way, decrease
the height of the tree. Especially
in cherry trees, we have noticed
that quite a few have made cuts
in removing branches which ex-.
poses the least amount of cut sur
face, thereby leaving a shoulder on
the outer side, around which the
bark always dies back. The remov-
al of branches should always be
made by cut almost parallel to
the inner side of the upright next
to which the cut is made. Large
pruning wounds, especially on the
cherries and pears, should be pro-
tected by some kind of a paint.
Dry. bordeaux mixed up with lin
seed oil or Pruning Compound pre-
pared by Sherwin Williams COM
pany or good white lead paint,
are all protectives for these
wounds.
The question of pruning of the
young trees was covered in each
community. The present trend in
the pruning of young trees is away
from the heavy pruning which
has been too often recommended
in the past. The ultimate goal in
the pruning of young trees is to
secure wherever possible a spread
of lateral branches for two feet
or more up and down more or
less modified central leader. In
working toward this end, we do
not attempted in all cases to secure
the first year, the four or five
leaders wanted. IL only two Of
these can be secured the first year
the leader is allowed to continue to
grow for another year with the
hopes that the two additional will
be secured on this leader at a high
er point. This retards the full de-
velopment of the scaffold limbs
for another year but with very lit
tie pruning done for this first
year, does not stimulate lot Of
wood growth and thus retard fruit
bearing. Trees are allowed to grow
more wood while they are young
and thus develop stronger tree
in a shorter period, the excessive
wood being removed as the tree
grows older and this wood begins
to crowd the branches which we
wish to leave. If we have condi-
ton with our young trees where
we have two branches developing
with equal vitality, one Of these
should be selected as the leader and
left to grow without pruning and
the other should he headed back
somewhat so as to check it's growth
and thus make Of it lateral
branch, probably the first lateral
branch to be developed.
The tendency in the past has
been to attempt to develop our
trees too rapidly, as conse-
quence, we have many old trees
now where they have been headed
with branches close together ana
these branches so crowdlng eacn
other that they have opened up