FRUIT TREES IN SUMMER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3481, 2 September 1882, Page 4

FRUIT TREES IN SUMMER.

Last week (says the Mark Lane Express) attention was directed to the important process of disbudding fruit-trees ; our remarks applied chiefly to trees on walls, but it is equally essential to guide and regulate the growths of trees in the open, especially those, and there are millions of them, that are planted in gardens, and which it is desired should be kept more or less dwarf, and assume an agreeable habit of growth. What are known as pyramid and bush fruit trees, apples, pears, and plums, are now highly popular, and deservedly so, for such tree 3 either are or ought to be extremely fruitful, and they can be grown on borders that would bo quite unsuited for orchard trees, the dwarf trees in question are also very attractive, but only when they are well and rightly managed. In producing handsome and prolific dwarf specimens we must first go to the root of the matter, and that by no management of the growths can such trees bo produced that are not growing on suitable stocks. With few exceptions the pears must be worked on quince stocks, and without exception apples must be on Paradiso stocks. Pears on the free or pear stock grow too luxuriantly in most soils, and apples on crab stocks can scarcely be made to assume a dwarf, compact, and florifcrous habit in any soil. Assuming that the stocks are of tho right kind and the roots active, the trees will now be in full growth. Each tree should consist of a number of main branches, regularly disposed, and not nearer than a foot apart. That is the first important point to attend to —thinly disposed mains. If the branches are closer than we have indicated, as is the case with more than half the trees in private gardens, remove a number of the them. " What, now ?" does some one exclaim in surprise ? Yes now. If an error has been made, the sooner it is rectified the better. ' But, it may be urged, Mr So and So's gardener says this is the wrong time to cut trees, on the ground that they will bleed.' Well, if ho does say so, take no notice of him. There is plenty of foliage on the trees to appropriate all tho sap and prevent ' bleeding,' and even if a little did escape from luxuriant trees it would bo beneficial rather than otherwise, but there will be no such loss. Remove then, entirely, any superfluous branches from young trees, and then shorten the breast wood, or young grovrths that spring from those remaining.

And do this at once. If five or six leaves are left on each shoot they will be ample, and these being exposed to the sun will store up matter for the well-being of the tree. If the branches of trees are so thinned, and the growths timely pinched, so that the sun can shine quite through the trees, fruit spurs will form along tho entire lengths of the branches, whereas if the trees are crowded, and choked with a mass of superfluous growths, each struggling with its neighbor for life-giving light, then spurs can only form at the ends of the branches, and the interior of the trees will be barren. Therefore commence now to pinch the ends off the side growths of dwarf fruit trees of all kinds, permitting the extremities to extend for increasing the size of the trees as may be desired. Thousands of promising young fruit trees have been spoiled for want of proper attention during the summer, and the subject is alluded to now with the object of arresting further injury ensuing by further neglect, hesitation, or want of knowledge of the subject in hand. We repeat witli emphasis—shorten all shoots not wanted for extension of all kinds and forms of fruit trees, leaving five or six leaves only at the base of each shoot. The matter is now presumably so plain that none can fail to understand it, and all who have trees should attend to their summer pruning at once. -