THE FARMERS COLUMN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, 1 February 1909, Page 1

THE FARMERS COLUMN.

HINTS TO FBOTTGROWEBS. -"$ SUMMER PRUNING. . , In answer to a (Sot|respbndent the ; cdiior of "The Soil" in the "Syd-. ". ney Daily Telegraph-"' gives the ap-^ .- ponded hints on the pruning of fruit, ,- trees: — j Tho object of summer pruning is v mainly to aid- in the' forma tion of : cine trees iii the desired direction. ':, it as also advantageous in- checking a -'*. 'tree that is going-. to wood instead of ,* frujit, causing it to throw* out fruit buds and spurs "for the next season. This is what";M*rVf^Jr. Allen, Qov.ernne'nt f ruitr e^per^ aays- on this, question: — "-Pruning .-to,- produce ..fruit, .vlijoh is Bd-'nfecaseary.inTßngland, will seldom be re^rilred'-liere, as our trees are so natnrajly's 0 "pron® 'to -produce fri|it that ''it fshwild- bo| more the obi*Ct of .tlio .. ! fj^i^p^er\ to ; reduce bearing TTOO^,*iitfi^pC^eci-e^" 'the. burden of \yM .' tifeeY^otild, : how- * fv>r, tho tree -run" entirely fo'wbod insts; ad of developing fruit, then it will be necessary to prune for frnit, and th s is done either by root pruning or su nmer pruning, as it is found that by thoaa means the wood growth is eh scked and ' fruit spurs' are developed Summer jmrnlng comprises pinching back laterals ahd converting them info fr-uit; spurs, instead jof L allowing them to grow unchecked and produce unnecessary wood; which Will have to be! removed the ne*t Winter pruning, anii also the . suppression of undesirable growths Which would have to be removed afterWardspso that the energies of the. tree_ are devoted to building up the necessary " "permanent branches rather than towards unnecessary growths, which are often of no value. Many varieties- of apples and peaTa.areJ greatly benefited by this pinching back of laterals, as it clothes the main; limbs «f;;the r .trees;wfflq a system of 'ruit^urs^-whic|u^^bpar lected the:i^teral-»J^P;a^M*£W ye been converted 7ih;td;;mii"'^M^ "^rill haive to bkreiiov^d].the' a foubjring.Trafcer, and the resiult:-'- yn&'y be a bare space with no frijitrvwoofls- .-. Snmmer - -.-■• pAning has,* however, its* drawbacks^ j as] in the first placeY it requires "to" " bee very carefully 3phe, 7 and necessitates the : employjfent' of skilled labour; and, secondlyrit-reqnires to be done at the>tim'e when .-one jis, •jsij'-Jljv „-- yery busy." V " Y-7