| OCR Text |
Show HORTICULTURE I PRUNING APPLE TREES. Some Suggestions ns to Bow It Should Be Bone by One Who Knows. Tho trunk nnd branches ot trocs nnd other plants form a sort of framo-work framo-work whereby tho leaves tho lungs ot tho plants nro exposed to tho ' BUnshlno nnd nlr, nnd upon which tho fruit ls borne. To secure, tho best results, ench trcu ot n given slzo should hnvo n certain nmount of leal surface, but no two trees of tho name slzo hnvo exactly tho samo form nnd number of leaves. Somo nro so thick that tho sun cannot reach tho fruit, whllo thfe leaves aro so numerous as to shndo nnd smother ono nnothor; others hnvo but a fow straggling branches, and nro mlsshnprn or poorly balanced. jH Tho object of pruning is to aid nn-turo nn-turo In securing nn Ideal form for tho trees. In mnny cases tho pruning 1b neglected whllo tho trees nro young, 1 when tho tops get so thick that somo-thing somo-thing has to bo dono, tho largo branches nro cut nway. In other cases tho trees hnvo not been pruned at all and the tops aro a mass ot water- In most cases It will bo imposslblo to thin out tho top of tho trco by ro-movnl ro-movnl of small branches only, thus nvoldlng largo wounds and tho sun-burning sun-burning of tho bark, which follows when largo branches aro cut away In tho caso of largo trees It may bo necessary to head back somo ot tho branches, In addition to thinning out tho surplus shoots. To pruno n trco properly tho work should commence with tho nursery tree. When planted, only nB mnny branches should bo left ns will bo needed for tho full-grown trco. Each year after this tho trees should bo looked over nnd nil ' surplus shoots thnt hnvo started should bo romoved l'HOI'Kll METHODS OF I'JIUNINU. riR. . Cutting small branches back to a H bud; A, cut too close. C, cut too long; H II, properly cut H I'll,'. 2. Cutting largo branches; A, stub H too long; C, wound too largo; 11, cut H mnklilg nmall wound nnd leaving short H Fig. 3. Pruning young npplo trees. "H For young trees n strong hulfo ntiBwcrs very well, and fpr larger ones much of tho work can bo dono with H hnnd shenrs. Pruning Baws aro needed for largo branches, and for somo purposes somo of tho lover shears may bo used. To scciiro tho best results It is lm-portnnt lm-portnnt thnt tho cuts should bo mndo at tho right point. Fig. 1 shows tho method ot cutting small branches back to n bud and also tho Improper places to cut them. If cut too long a bad stub will bo formed, whllo if cut too closo beneath tho bud, it will dry out. Tho propor way ls to hayo them cut on tho sldo opposlto, about 1 oven with Its tip, and, with a slant of about 30 degrees from-a cut at right angles, como out Just nbove tho bud. Even greater enro should be taken in cutting off largo branches. Somo-times Somo-times tho cut is mndo at right angles to tho branch that is cut. This H leaves a bad stub, which will bo un- H sightly nnd tho end ot which will heal over very slowly, it at all. As a rulo tho interior of tho stub decays, and a cavity ls formed In tho trco. On tho other hnnd, tho cut is often mndo parallel with the main trunk or branch. This is sometimes all right, but generally thoro ls a Inrgo shoulder at tho baso of tbo branch nnd n wound of considerable slzo is produced. By cutting at an anglo of 15 degrees or 20 degrees from tho last-named cut, tho wound would H often bo reduced in slzo fully H ono-hnlf, nnd It would not project so H far but that tho healing would bo oven moro rapid than with a parallel cut. Tho method ot making tho three cuts is shown in Fig. 2. For tho ord- IHfl lunry planter an npplo treo should bo lfl two years old, flvo feet high and three- H quarters ot an inch to one inch In dl- fWHH amoter. When It ls planted It should be VSmEn pruned bo that it will have about LwtM four branches ns In Fig 3, Tho ftftW?! cross-marks In tho Illustration show l'fiGif whero theso branchos aro to bo kJ'ifiSi headed back; all tho others should bo l!04f romoved. When tho troo has a strong IftW center shoot It is often deslrahlo to PSi leavo this nearly twlco as long as tho rVSKi other branches. hw:.'"! If tho trees hnvo largo roots thnt ?1ri'V havo ragged ends or that hnvo been ' broken in hnndllng, thoy should bo i'&'vft' cut off smoothly. This applies to troos of all klndB. iv!i4 When tho tios nro of an open habit iMxt It is a good plan, says Prnlrlo Farmor, to head back tho branchos r from ono-fourth to ono-half. This will strengthen tho trunft and $M1 brnnches. Tho samo rules can be CSeI followed as tho treos dovdlop. All lQO dead branches nnd tho watorsprouts, HH If not neodnil to All up tho head, should bo cut out, nnd If tho troo bo- H co in os too thick tho thinning out Bfl process should ba rosortod to. H1 |
