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Show PRUNING FRUIT TREES Tho subject treated in n Logical and Convincing way. There arc many reasons for pruning fruit and shade trees. Any tree left to grow as nature provides is apt to become be-come unsymmetrlcal in shape and to develop branches that cross and Inter-feie Inter-feie with others. Young trees that are not yet in bearing are pruned for Hie purpose of directing the form of the tree, while trees that are fruitful are tunned to direct m-mi-ili nmi t i... crease fruitfulness. It is therefore ini-portant ini-portant that a clear idea of tho purpose of the pruning be had before commeno ing wok on .i tree. It is necessary that tho operator have In his mind the shape ho desires the tree to grow into If a tall pyramid shape is desired then all cuts: should be made to a bud or or twig that Is found growing on the inside of the main branches of the tree. If it is desired to spread the tree, th.-n the. cut should bo made to a bud or branch on tho outside of the main brnnches. In this manner the Hartlett pear tree may be grown In tho form of a I'oplar, or it may be spread into a form very much like the Elm. So with all other classes and vareties of fruit trees, the natural form of the tree may be transformed into almost that desired de-sired by the owner. In pruning the young tree the object should be tt' prod nee li well ImlnnDeri top, not too dense, nnd to -et out all the interfering branches. Extra vigorous brandies should be cut back, thus throwing the strength of the tree into remaining brandies and tho trunk. This will bo found necessary to thus treat most young trees that are set in fertile soil, at least until they come Into In-to bearing. Trees that are in bearing require most careful consideration in pruning. The double effect of directing shape and producing fruit must be kept eon stantlyin mind. The general directions direc-tions for pruning are the same for nil classes of fruit trees, but we will consider con-sider more particularly the points to be observed in caring for the IVncli. The Peach tree bears Its fruit on the wood of last year's growth. Rvery observant ob-servant person has noticed that the greatest growth in trees is toward the end of the branches thero being little new wood coming out along tho trunk or main limbs. As a result the crop of fruit must be mainlv toward the top of tho trees and njrilstnnco from the trunk or base ty support for the branehes. If lefi nniolested a peach tree will goon in this manner until the trunk and main brandies will be almost void of young wood and all fruit will bo out of reach of ono standing stand-ing on the ground. Each year tlicre will bo less now wood formed nnd nf course tho crop of fruit annually decrease. de-crease. The tree will continue to spread nnd take up more and more room whilo it produces each year less and less fruit. Moreover, the bearing of even a small amonnt of fruit on the very tips of the limbs make a great strain on tho branches and many are broken. A broken limb on a peach tree Is a serious menace to the tree, since It affords a place for decay to begin, and for borers to enter, In short it is hard to linngbio a .tree more wealc or unsymmetrlcal in appearance than a peach tree that is ten years old and has never been properly pruned. The load Is on I ho ends of tho brancees far out of reach, the fruit is small and inferior, tho branehes are broken and tho trunk with no signs of young growth, looks dry and lifeless Thero is a remedy for this sickly con dltion of the peach tree, but it is al-ways al-ways better and easier to provent than to cure. Tho remedy is to cut back the entire top of tho tree to within five or six feet of tho ground, removing till young wood and leaving thu trunk and larger branches perfectly bare of twigs I Helow these cuts a great and vigorous growth of youmr wood will burst out the first year. From this heavy growth a top may be formed by judicious pruning. prun-ing. The old tree will as full of vigor as when it was five years old, and will continue so almost indefinitely, provided it be given annual pruning thereafter. The preventative of the condition just described is to prune tho peach tree properly each year froai the time it is bet out. In the first plaeo the tree should bo headed low. Keep the growth down where it may bo controlled. No matter if all little limbs or branches must be out away when the tree is planted, cut it down to within ten inches of tho ground. Leayo just a mere stick and the branches will como out all right. Then eaeh year out back ono bah of tho previous pre-vious season's growth. This will in-crease in-crease the diameter of tho trunk of the tree and cause many young sprouts to shoot out along tho trunk and the main branches. There will bo too many of these small branches spring out along tho trunk, and these must be thinned out. Those twigs Unit are left should bo cut back one-half each year. Keep an opeu center cen-ter so that the sun can touch every individual in-dividual piece of fruit on the tree some time during tho day. Leayo no dead branches on tho tree. As to the mechanical work of prun-Itigi prun-Itigi earo should bo observed. Every cut, whether a bud or Jjrimch, should (Continued on oTh pago.) |