HOW TO PRUNE YOUNG TREES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 3 July 1889, Page 8

HOW TO PRUNE YOUNG TREES.

Eveey fruit-grower should fpnrn the rpiative functions of the trees and loots. One cnnnot e.\ist without the other, and one set of or^anp is a* necessary as the other, A tree without a, top is quite as much de~ formed a* if it were without riot*. The comparative ;inatomis-t would say, the leaver worn the lungs at>d the roots the fctomach of trees. The main difference between th* two foims of life is tliat in the anim.il the respective organs are enclosed in s body, while in a tree they are turned outward, reaching in every direction for food, and moisture, and aii, and light, showing: almopt a human intelligence, in their efforts to obtain thorn. However,rioh th«* ground may be no roots can convert the raw. material into wood or fi'uit without tbe aiti'of .le.iveß. Thos?, who cut off th*e limbo nbo ve^tliP' fruit, in order to divert the pap theieto, are reckorfing without knowledge The tree will probably drop ion*ideiable of it» fruit, to enable it to ripf-n a small poition, whereat the owner will Ray the 'fmit blasted.' Old fruitgrowers, like Marshall P. Wilder, Barry, Elwiinerer, nnd others whose success in fruit-growing ought to make them good authority, advise beginners to be careful about cutting off. much wood, faying that i rowing wood to cutaway is poor economy, Pruning for shape is well enough. Pruning because spring has come is like the annual brimstoni rig or sulphuring children u«ed to undergo in days lmppilv by gone, when it was also considered beneficial for ev»ry well man to lohp a little blood. Trees may be trained liif/h or low, with Jnr.jr slender limbs, or short fctocky ones, as its habits or customs may require, without the lorb of much wood. The whole oVßtem of severe pruning is violence to ntture, a waste of nat<jrn! forc-o«<, and ».ujrht to be avoided. While on thi* pubjf'ct, the method so common of permiting (he or ten limbs to grow out of the trunk at ono pl.tc* 1 , can not be too severely condemned. Wlu-n you are doing this, txnlain if you can how the circulation ifto be carried on when e»uh of these lirnbk v ecome, a q they will in a faw years, threv or tour inches in diameter. Tliev will be jifc.lly choled to death, and some mu'rt di« that otberc tnav live, lpaving masseH of d '»d wood in tlip tiunk which cannot bo otherwise tlwn detrimental to the tree. The inexon«ble rule 'should be to leave n c ntrHl stem up an outlet for growth. Afthis enlargeß the tiunk will signifiy tbe time to cut <'iit the lower limbs by' di pot-i'inga collar <»r riujr of wood around tho v.«!cti<m of the limb and tree, thih ii« itiK c.aitnj" own way of RhuLting off th< c-ji' •.iljition.and tlins excising the liml). It ?k a rmi.it table but well Httested f^ctthat I^ic h(aithie-t old irecs in tho country are M-/<s»- th«t ure pmued leadt, — Sau Jot-d Mercury. ? . i