| Show r g si l- l r L r f r OBTAIN DF DIFFERENT RENT RESULTS i. i BY PRUNING R sA s A AV V c t Y b l BAD PRUNING CAUSES BEARING AT EXTREMITIES OF BRANCHES I Prepared by the United States Department Department Depart Depart- ment of or Agriculture There are several different results to tobe tobe tobe be obtained by pruning fruit trees namely 1 To keep the tree within bounds so that the work of ot spraying and of picking the fruit can be done with the greatest facility 2 To remove dead or interfering branches 3 To open the top of the tree to admit admit admit ad ad- mit air and sunshine and to reduce the struggle for existence among the branches 4 To thin the fruit and stimulate the development of fruit buds 5 To make the tree stocky and increase its vigor There are differences of opinion asto as asto asto to the best ways was of pruning to secure I the results desired but most successful successful successful success success- ful growers admit that regular prunIng pruning pruning prun prun- ing is desirable Each grower In prunIng pruning prun prun- ing lug his trees has bas in mind the securing of ot some definite objects though he may not know just what the principles of pruning are Each tree furnishes a problem in itself but if the principles principles prin prin- are understood these problems can be solved Avoid Bad Crotches After a tree Is planted it is hea headed ed back to a single stem ora or ora ora a stem with several branches dependIng depending depend depend- ing lug on the size and age of the tree The second season several of these stubs or new branches are selected to form the scaffold limbs of the tree Care should be taken to have these three or four spread out well along the main stem so as to avoid bad crotches later The branches selected are headed back 10 or 12 Inches The third season two or three branches are allowed to remain on each of these scaffold limbs and all others cut off The branches selected this time should be located so as to balance evenly and keep open open the top of the tree The fourth season the operation Is repeated repeat repeat- ed on the limbs of ot the preceding seasons season's seasons season's seasons season's sea sea- sons son's growth In all later care should be used to save fruit spurs and keep the bearing wood low and well weli distributed throughout the tree In pruning all cuts be made close to the parent branch leaving no stubs which might later decay back and injure the tree All wounds of more than an inch in diameter should be painted The correct principle seems to be to todo todo todo do the least cutting possible and yet get the results desired A great deal of ot the cutting done In winter may be avoided by a little judicious pinching back of buds during the summer This pinching back prevents the growth of branches that must be removed later and permits better growth in the branches that are desired Thinning The purpose of ot thinning is to reduce the quantity of ot fruit which a tree sets to a quantity that it can cun mature and at the tile same time develop fruit buds for forthe forthe forthe the next years year's crop An excessive crop usually means small and often otten poorly colored fruit and the overloadIng overloading overload overload- ing jag frequently breaks down the limbs of ot the tree The Tue development of ot seeds I is an exhaustive process on a tree and the growth of ot seeds in small in-small small fruits Is as depleting as in the case of large fruits thus thinning relieves the tree of a severe strain In the case of ot winter apples it Is quite likely that annual bearing Is encouraged by thinning thinning thinning thin thin- ning for it gives more opportunity for tor the development of fruit buds Summer varieties of ot apples require several pi pickings lings and each a h of ot these pickings may in n a way b be called caned a system system tem tern of thinning With stone fruits especially peaches thinning has become become be be- become come an established practice among most commercial growers How much and when to thin depends on condi condl- The usual time of ot thinning Is Just after the called so-called June drop The am amount to thin varies with the kind of fruit and anti the variety With some varieties van vari etIe It is not always profitable and the extra drain on oa the tree by the production pro pro- of seed can cun be overcome by fertilizing Peaches are usually thinned to about five or six Inches apart on the limbs Orchard Renovation Many orchards contain trees which owing to old age neglect of ot pruning Insects or disease have become un un- profitable All of these trees trees which J j u ar are nrc vigorous can cnn be renovated an and their usefulness prolonged a number of ot years High headed trees with their bearing wood at the extremities of ot long branches are not only difficult to spray but the work of picking tho the fruit fruit Is troublesome and expensive Such trees may be headed back and the fruiting wood brought within convenient convenient con con- conI I veni nt reach Trees like peaches may maybe maybe maybe be cut back to a few short arms near near the trunk and the tree allowed to form an entirely new head With apples ap ap- ap- ap pIes ples and pears severe heading Is not to tobe tobe tobe be recommended With old trees where the head is so high that In order i ito to materially reduce the workable height the branches would have to be nearly all cut away it is questionable whether the renovation is profitable Old trees which are ore vigorous and which are of varieties that are not desirable may be headed back and the tops grafted gritted Into desirable varieties This working top-working Is done by budding in the case of peaches and by cleft grafting in the case of ot other othet kinds of fruit trees The new top is formed as low down as is consistent with the vigor of the tree and the size of the branches Renovation In all renovation or rejuvenation or oz fruit trees there Is more to be considered considered considered con con- than just pruning and top- top working Old orchards have usually been neglected in regard to cultivation spra spraying ing and fertilizing as well as pruning After the trees have been and all rubbish In the orchard orchard orchard or or- chard cleared clemed up and burned a n good spraying with sulphur lime-sulphur should be given This spray will vIii kill any scale insects that may muy be in the orchard and w will help to clean up the trees Whenever Whenever Whenever When When- I ever the season permits th the land can be broken and clean culture given If the orchard has been in sod for a number number num num- ber of years and especially with some leguminous crop the soil solI will probably probably probably ably contain a good deal of vegetable matter but if not then this material may be supplied b by giving the land a u good dr dressing of stable manure An application of pounds of acid I f. f hate ate and pounds of or sulphate of ot potash per acre scattered around under the tile outer extremities of the limbs and between the rows and harrowed in will be very beneficial to the production of good crops of fruit |
