Pruning Apple Trees.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 136, 4 March 1909, Page 3

Pruning Apple Trees.

\ To properly prune a tree it ie neces- ' sary that the operator should be well • acquainted with the functions the various parts have to perform towards t supplying nutrition for its growth, and i the development of fruiting wood. He [ should also be familiar with the ■ natural tcdenencies of the tree, | whether they be towards vigorous [ growth or the reverse; whether of upright habit# or of a spreading nature. Upright trees, such as the perfection and the Statesman, require to be opened out by continually pruning to outside bued; but in a rambling tree, such as the Jonahtan, is often liable ■ to develop into, pruning to a inner eye is frequently aviablc. Then to regrad must be paid to the climate. In cold districts the centre of the tree may be left with but little covering, but in hot regions under similar treatment, the tree would obviously be subject to injury. The denseness of the centre of the tree must drpend largely upon prevailing conditions. Bad pruning is undoubtedly the cause of great annual loos. The object every pruncr should have in view is to secure and maintain a regular crop of fruit so far as natural 1 conditions will allow and so extend the period of the trees' usefulness. This can best be attained by carefully studying the tree under treatment and observing its requirements before Commencing to prune. In one respect the pruner resembles the scylptor; until be forms his ideal be cannot give it shape. If the tree be over-crowded a large per centage of the fruiting wood will fail to mature, and any dense growth should be thinned out, and some of the larger arms removed to admit the light; if insufficiently sheltered some barch should be sought for which may be brought up to provide the necessary shade; if the crop 4 be too heavy and the fruit in consequence small, the spurs probably require shortening or thinning out; too heavy crops generally result in a scarcity of fruit the following season, owing to the trees becoming exhausted and not having the necessary vigour to set their flowers. These and other defects as are apparent must always receive attention if the full benefit of the pruning is to result.

Few of our settlers ever think of rearing turkeys on farms. In certain localities they should pay handsomely. They are great foragers and grazing animals. After the first few months they are very hardy and easily reared. The reason so many people fail to rear young turkeys is, in the opinion of a contemporary, that young birds arc Used as breeders. To get strong vigorOtis cbicks, it is nceseasry to use as. breeders hens and gobblers at least two years old. Once a good strain of bronze wing turkeys is obtained a farmer should never sell off th< oM toms until they are useless for hr< t iiru' purposes. Then they must 'c r..;.:ae. by Others two years o] !. A *';r':>y COStS Very little to r< ar. a ■= {'::■ almost any sort of green f" > : VMi-;:,--iously, so that during ;k< '■-■ ;•-*■ r ?.:. ; spring months the fcori \.y,[ Is. :--i:- ; a:;. The birds bring a gov! price j„. r it-. live weight, thus yielding a very handsome profit when disposed of early.