Vacaville, California, Tree Pruners’ Strike of 1932

[Excerpt] Two days after the November 1932 elections, newly elected California congressman Frank H. Buck provoked a massive tree pruners\u27 strike when he announced a wage cut for pruners on his ranch from $1.40 for an eight-hour day to$1.25 for a nine-hour day. Buck, one the largest growers in the Vacaville fruit growing region, had raised wages to $1.40 during his congressional campaign, promising farmworkers even higher wages if he won the election. Running under the campaign slogan Give Government Back to the People, Buck garnered nearly unanimous support from farmworkers in the Vacaville area. Within days of his victory, after securing the agreement of other orchardists in the area, Buck announced that the 20 percent wage cut would go into effect starting November 14. On the day the pay cut was to go into effect, 400 Mexican, Filipino, Japanese, and white tree pruners walked off their jobs. Unlike previous agricultural strikes in the region, this was not a spontaneous walkout. Unbeknownst to Buck, the Communist-led Cannery and Agricultural Workers Industrial Union (CAW1U) had been actively organizing workers in the area for several months. By the time Buck made his announcement, more than 250 working tree pruners had joined the union, and strike plans were well developed. The tree pruners\u27 strike was to be the first deliberately organized strike since the CAWIU had started organizing California agricultural workers three years before

An ergonomics analysis of manual versus chainsaw high ladder pruning of Pinus radiata in New Zealand : a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy at Massey University

Two methods of ladder pruning Pinus radiata from 4.5 - 6.0 metres were compared using a cost-benefit approach within a framework provided by ergonomics. Chainsaw pruning is practiced in areas of New Zealand where large branches occur. The objectives of the research were to compare the costs and benefits of the two pruning techniques and provide recommendations as to whether or not the practice of chainsaw pruning should continue. These objectives were achieved by comparing the risk of injury, the physiological costs, the musculoskeletal costs, the productivity and the quality associated with the use of the two techniques. The general methods used to assess the relative costs and benefits of the two techniques were: l. Numeric descriptions of the 'risk' involved with each method of pruning 2. The use of a relative heart rate index to compare the physiological cost of the two techniques 3. Using questionnaires focusing on musculoskeletal pain and discomfort to assess any relative differences between the two techniques 4. Using continuous time study to quantify any difference in labour productivity between the two techniques 5. Sampling pruned trees to assess differences in the quality of work between manual and chainsaw pruning The research concludes that although both methods of pruning are hazardous, chainsaw pruning is more hazardous than manual pruning. Chainsaw and manual pruning were found to have the same physiological costs. Findings of the research indicate that manual pruning is not associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort than chainsaw pruning on a yearly basis, although it is associated with a greater relative increase in BPD on a day to day basis and that this may lead to the development of musculoskeletal disease. Chainsaw pruning was found to be significantly more productive than manual pruning, although this was at the cost of quality. The research concludes by recommending that the use of chainsaw pruning should be limited to areas where the branches are demonstrably large. Further research is called for to compare the physiological and musculoskeletal costs of manual pruning in plantation areas of both large and small branch sizes. Further research is called for to compare the safety of two methods of chainsaw pruning with the use of the technique of wrapping one leg around the tree as opposed to not wrapping the leg around the tree. Research to investigate new ladder designs which are safer to use in the New Zealand forest environment is also called for

Pruning Fruit Trees

PDF pages: 3

An Annotated List of the Cerambycidae of Michigan (Coleoptera) Part I, Introduction and the Subfamilies Parandrinae, Prioninae, Spondylinae, Aseminae, and Cerambycinae

The Cerambycidae are generally acknowledged as one of the most popular families of Coleoptera, and it is not surprising that they have been collected widely in Michigan. Andrews (1916, 1921, 1929), Hatch (1924), Hubbard and Schwarz (1878), and Wickham (1895), included Cerambycidae in published lists of insects from various localities in the state. The present list, however, is the first to include records of collections made throughout Michigan. Some regions of the state have been rather thoroughly collected, particularly the southeastern counties. Collecting throughout Michigan has been sufficient to consider this list as essentially complete, although continued studies in the southwestern Lower Peninsula and the western Upper Peninsula will undoubtedly add a few species to the records

Training and Pruning Fruit Trees

PDF pages: 2

Detection of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) Infestations with Sticky Traps

We deployed sticky traps underneath the crown of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, to assess their sensitivity at detecting crawlers (1st instar nymphs) of the non-native hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). We found these traps more sensitive at detecting infested trees with low densities of A. tsugae than branch-tip sampling with pole pruners. We observed two peaks of crawler abundance at all sites: these peaks likely represented the timing of the progrediens and sistens crawler stages of A. tsugae. Deployment of sticky traps in treated and high-risk stands may prove useful at detecting residual and new infestations, respectively

Pruning Trees

The Home & Garden Information Center provides research-based information on landscaping, gardening, plant health, household pests, food safety & preservation, and nutrition, physical activity & health. This HGIC fact sheet provides information on pruning trees