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Show PRUNING TIME IS AGAIN AT HAND As the season that Is in general considered pruning season for fruit irees draws near, it may not be out of plaee to say a few words about pruning. After one has observed the results of pruning for fifteen to twenty-five years, one sees problems that did not appear before. In the past, - Ami by many in the present time. P 'uning is done to have some brush to pick up so it can be said, "Yes. 1 have pruned." Of late years, however, pruning is done in a different way, especially by those who prune for results. re-sults. So much can be done by proper pruning, especially on apples, that it Is almost unbelievable to see the results. re-sults. The old method of pruning .vas to reduce the top by a fev cuts of large branches, which was considered sufficient suf-ficient reduction of fruiting surface find a balancing of root and top. (n later years, especially after trees have reached the age of twelve to twenty j ears, it Is necessary to have j a little keener eye and lool; further than this. Overloading of the outer brancries results in poor color and undersized fruit and consequently this condition ought to be remedied. In order to do this, one must prune from the outside in and reduce the fruiting surface on numerous brandies instead of reducing reduc-ing the number of branches by a few large limbs only. By pruning from the outside in toward the center and reducing re-ducing many branches, you have distributed dis-tributed the reduction of fruiting area over a wide range and consequently have reduced the possibility of much sucker growth. In the case of a few large cuts it forms profusely, causing increased ; work the following year to clear out i that sucker growth. You also have re- duced or largely thinned your fruit by pruning, allowing much more exposure ex-posure to sunlight and beiter aeration aera-tion and larking control of scab and insects easier. j |