Evening star., 1937-05-29
PRUNING Of TREES
NOW IS ADVISABLE.
Wounds During Period of
Rapid Growth Heal Quickly,
Expert Says.

Late Spring and early Summer Of
ing. because at that time all healthy
plants are growing vigorously, accord
ing to Paul Davey, prominent tree
expert. Pruning, he says, can be sue
cessfully done at almost any time of
the year, but nature offers good as
sistance when the growing season is
young, because then the pruning
wounds heal quickly.
There are three principal reasons
for pruning shade tree" Davey con-
tnues in his advice to home owners.
''They are: To improve its appear
ance. to develop its structural strength
and to guard against the attacks of
insects or disease. All these are i'm
portant, one possibly as much so as
another because tree must be beau-
tiful, strong and healthy to be Of
maximum value to its owner.
Value Of Proper Location.
Pruning to improve the appear
Ance Of tree does not mean trim
AAAAl6 ~ W any IAASh SlldpC. GtCly
kind Of tree has natural beauty of
its own which can be preserved by
removing dead wood, cutting back
unnatural growth and preserving
symmetry. The beauty of a tree is
also somewhat dependent upon its 10
cation. One that stands out by itself
can be allowed to put out branches
almost down to the ground, while
with similar tree standing beside
an entrance gate or drive it may be
desirable to have the lower branches
cleared away to permit view of the
property. Sometimes the removal Of
one or two branches will add immeas-
urably to the view from the house, as
when a tree stands on rise over
hooking lower ground. Pruning for
beauty means helping a tree to add
10 the beauty of the home site, but
cleanliness is of prime importance at
sll times.
ITO talk of pruning for structural
strength sounds like a contradiction,
because 1t does not seem as though
cutting away part of tree would
make 1t stronger. But pruning for
structural strength really means train
ing tree in the way that it will be-
come the strongest. Thus, when a
sharp fork develops in small branch
you have the beginning of what may
become a structural weakness, because
such a crotch is always a weak spot
when branches become heavy. Prun-
ing off the least desirable part of the
fork permits the other to grow into a
Single, strong branch. If one side Of
. tree becomes heavier than the other
not only the symmetry but the struc-
tural strength is affected. Some trees,
like the soft naples and most OF the
poplars, produce particularly heavy
foliage, but are not strong in their
woody structure. Frequently when
such tree is in location exposed to
heavy winds the pressure on the solid
]eafy mass is too much for the strength
Of trunk and branch. A systematic
thinning out will permit some of the
wind to pass through, reducing the
pressure without lessening the beauty
OF the tree at all. Pruning for struc-
tural strength calls for an intelligent
study Of the tree structure.
Pruning for Protection.
Pruning for protection against in
kects and disease is vital because boring
insects and the spores OF fungous
arowths often attack dead wood In
preference to sound bark. Cut out all
the dead branches and you remove
the breeding places Of many insects
and diseases. But be careful to seal all
pruning wounds. Use a wound dress
ing which will completely cover the
wound, which will adhere, which has
some. elasticity and which will be
durable Generally speaking the coal
ter derivatives are not satisfactory be-
cause they contain elements which
are injurious to living tissues. Creosote
will preserve lumber, but you do not
want your tree preserved, you want it
to keep on growing"