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Unfruitful Young Orchards

Unfruitful Young Orchards image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
August
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

It is a frequent, complnint of ansiouf owoeri of young and thrifty appU ordiarda that thj do m t benr. Tl o troon aro oíd enougli, thsy nre hcalt'iy, " :ind (boy grow : ry faet," u' hey yield linie or v fruit. As a general ruin tbee orclnrds aro prefty well carc(j for - thcv fcrs lïfill cuitivated, prun id, soraped, woihúd and manurefl, maí the trees do grow apleudidly, luit that i.- about the on!y reward, f ifc may bt' oalled cue, whioh tho growor gcts f;r hia troubleand expenso. If tho cwners of sucli iK.frnitfu] orc'hnrda understood and practiced th nnpleat principios of the art oí pruning thcy WQuld, it' prevonted ly no loo.l CRDses, socin be bri'iiijit into fruitful condition. Tho OvfoöM do, iüdeed, partly understund tho causo ot' thcir not bcaring, f"r ono will ofton hear tho rcmark - "thcy grow too fat to bear we!l ;" but they seldom anderstand, or at leaf practico, tho meaos of ohanguig thi.s stoto. It sbouli.l be borne in miad that a tree whioh iros a :eat deal of wood will prod'.ica littie if any fruit. A large grow tb of wood and a grent yield ol fruit are uot conduins thnt will take placo in a tree al the sanio t'me. During tlie iirst yeara of the üfe of a tree t!ie treatmeut ehóuld m suoh as wili produjo a igoroua and healthy growth of wood. In orchards ot B'aoJing tree? fruit not expected nor desirable, in view of ultímate profit, u:itil the tree i? of proper size. Tl'u r.ir-i nf the cultivator is to mako his trees grow f -iet anl 10 mtkfl them healthy. IIo prunei carly in the ppring, bcforc the sap starts - prunos cloaely, and throws the juices ol Uní tree nto a ditninUhed hoad, and large and thrifty branche aie thi rcsult. He also inanures and cultivates. J3ut when ha wants fmit, a different course muit ba resorted to. Wlmtever diminishes tho vitality of a tren - threatens its life - induces fruilfulnrss. Instinctively the tree puts forth an elYort to perfect it eed. Tlie wood-buds ehange to fruit-buds, and the itroo{ branches in the glorious autumn bene down with promise. Sometiraea this result is brought abcut uawittingly. A sod fornis nround a tree, it reeeives h wound or breotnes aickly ; and the unfortuuate specimen that talla behind ith fcllows in growth is lo:ided witb a burden of fruit. The orehard'st, dceiroua of iaJu1 i :L. frui'.fulncsB in bis youog and overthrift} treef, should oh ook their growth. He should pruno in tho eunimer, the senson of growth, in8tead of tho winter, tlic seaon of rest Summer pruning diminishes the vitality of the tree Pinching ahould be resertcd ti. All of the stroag shoots, at least, if not all shoots on a very vigorom and non-pruduotive tree, should be piiiched in the summei and thus dwarfed. The roota shoult bo pruned likeuiso, entting off fi om one fourth to one-third by thrusting down a long, eharp spade in a circle round the tree. If the cummer pruning and pinching has been done, the end of that sea fon is the proper timo to root-pruue Man y unfruitful orehards, we bclieve might be brought by skillful pruning into a condition of prnfitable bearing-

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus