RENEWING FRUIT TREES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

RENEWING FRUIT TREES.

ADVICE ON BUDDING. Some weeks ago, when giving advice upon budding fruit trees intended for renewal by this method, one could scarcely anticipate such a prolonged dry period, and its consequent effect upon the growth of many of the varieties to be worked. This demonstrates that no definite time can be given for budding, beyond the fact that budding cannot well be successfully performed unless the sap is active

young, well-ripened wood is essential to fraitfulnesa. The summer pruning of these consists in cutting back all weak. 6terile shoots and any that are crowding or crossing each other. The centre of the trees should be sufficiently open to allow of the free circulation of light and air so that the fruiting wood can properly mature. < By a proper system of pruning every part of the trees should be furnished with strong, healthy fruiting woods, without being in any way overcrowded. If, oil tho other hand, the trees are allowed to grow away unchecked, the growth becomes so denso as to exclude the sun from the inside growths, the result being a lot _of unripened shoots from which flowering buds, if any, often drop off. When the trees are left in this condition until the time for pruning it becomes necessary to cut away much of tho fruiting wood or to leave'the trees unpruned. This pruning, if not already done, should be done without delay.