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Show CHERRY TREES SHOULD BE WELL PRUNED to 1 i I r "i ; 1- ; - . - READY FOR PLANTING, PRUNED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. (Prepared by the United States Depart- : ment of Agriculture.) There is probably no other operation in the production of fruit concerning which there are such wide differences of opinion and practice as prevail with regard to the pruning of trees. The fact that trees often produce abundantly abun-dantly and regularly under practically all systems of pruning or with no pruning prun-ing whatever forces the conclusion that dogmatic statements and rule-of-thumb directions are unsafe and unwise. un-wise. The notion has been long prevalent that cherry trees should not be pruned, that the wounds made in cutting off limbs do not heal readily, and that the operation is detrimental to the success suc-cess of the trees. A good many growers grow-ers have developed their orchards in accordance with this conception. These theories; however, do not appear to be well founded. While cherry trees may require less pruning than some other fruits, the ill effects of allowing the tops to become be-come very dense and bushy have become be-come apparent in numerous cases. The most obvious effects of neglecting pruning have been the diminishing size of the fruit as the trees have grown older and its unevenness in ripening. A number of cherry growers who have had this experience have thinned the tops of their trees, opening them well to the sunshine and air. The pruning which a tree receives when planted and during the first two or three years thereafter has much to do with its future. Mistakes in forming form-ing the head or the results of neglect of a strong, stock tree, with a well-balanced, symmetrical head, which shall be sufficiently open to admit air and sunlight to every branch. Thus pruned, the development along the branches of a goodly number of strong, thrifty fruit spurs as the tree attains bearing age is favored. Following the first season's growth after planting, some thinning out of the branches that developed during that season will usually be required. Two secondary branches are enough, as a rule, to leave on each main branch, unless others are needed to help make the tree symmetrical. Some heading back of the growth made that season is also advised, though some growers are opposed to cutting back at all. It is believed, however, that heading back the annual growth to some extent during the first two or three years after the trees are planted will result in a more stocky tree and one better formed for supporting sup-porting heavy crops of fruit in later years than where the limbs are not headed back. The amount of heading back should depend upon the growth made the previous year. Where it is strong growers frequently cut back the limbs one-half or two-thirds of their length. The annual pruning of sour-cherry trees until they come into bearing need not be materially different from that which follows the first season's growth in the orchard, as already described. de-scribed. The tops should always be kept open and the growth of the preceding pre-ceding season headed back more or less for two or three years at least. Comparatively little cutting back, however, is required after the trees reach the age of three or four years, which is about the age at which most sour varieties come into bearing, though this time varies with the variety, va-riety, location and treatment. Sweet-Cherry Trees. The growing of sweet cherries is confined largely to sections where the open-center type of tree prevails, and if any attention is given to pruning, the trees are usually developed on that plan. If the tree is allowed to grow each season with no heading back of the previous season's growth, the branches ' will be long, slender, and poorly adapted adapt-ed for supporting a fruit crop. Most sweet varieties begin to bear by the time they are six to eight years old. TJp to this age they should be so managed that the limbs will become strong and stocky, and the tops should be kept sufficiently open to admit light and sunshine to every part of the tree where fruit spurs normally form. Duke Cherry Trees. The habit of growth of the duke cherries is more or less intermediate between the sweet and sour sorts, some varieties more closely resembling resem-bling the former and others the latter. lat-ter. As the dukes are planted largely in those sections where the open-center type of pruning is practiced prac-ticed it follows that most of the trees of this class are pruned according to that system. This variety resembles the sweet cherry in habit of growth rather than the sour cherry. '-'5. mm tS fit m m p. Sweet Cherry Tree of Windsor Variety Va-riety in Its Second Season's Growth From Planting It Has Not Been Well Headed In. during the early years of its life are practically irreparable. On the other hand, if well formed and properly pruned during its first years the foundation foun-dation for a good tree is established; subsequent errors in pruning, if they occur, may admit of correction without with-out serious permanent harm to the tree. The shaping of cherry trees at the time of planting has already been discussed. dis-cussed. It is obvious that the two types of trees described open center and central leader must be treated quite differently In the subsequent pruning which they receive. Open-Center Type. During the first season after planting, plant-ing, on the type to be grown as an open-center open-center tree, two or three secondary branches usually develop from each of the limbs that comprise the framework of the tree. In pruning, the predominating predomin-ating idea should be the development Central-Leader Type. The central-leader type of tree Is represented in practice by two general forms in which the difference depends upon whether the central limb is allowed al-lowed to grow, or "lead," indefinitely or whether it is headed back at some point. The annual pruning of a tree shaped with a central leader should consist of thinning out the branches, in order to keep the top open, and of such heading head-ing back as may suit the ideals of the grower. The choice of these two types of trees open center and central leader is largely a matter of personal preference. pref-erence. It Is claimed that a tree with a central leader will withstand storms and winds better than an open-center tree, but growers are not unanimous In this opinion. |