60 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



great difficulties that he had to contend with in the State of 

 Maine, and in other states as well, was the haphazard, slipshod 

 way or methods employed by the fruit growers in producing 

 fruit; that there were great variations in the yield of trees in 

 every apple growing community. It is nearly impossible to 

 work out any definite basis to get at any accurate crop estimate. 

 Now that is absolutely true, that the varying conditions under 

 which men are growing fruit in this state, are responsible, in a 

 large measure, for the small yield or the large yield — the 

 annual yield of many varieties, the yield once in two or three 

 years. 



I believe it is absolutely necessary that we have a plan or 

 system by which we may start out to secure these results, and 

 live up to that system for a term of years, sufficient to warrant 

 some judgment or some conclusion as to what effect that system 

 is having on the yield and quality of the fruit. So I will take 

 up what I consider the largest factors, and perhaps speak briefly 

 on some of the others, which may in a greater or less degree 

 influence this annual bearing habit. 



Pruning. 



Pruning is one phase of orchard work that is probably the 

 hardest to discuss from the platform of any that we have. 

 And it is nearly impossible for any man, whether he be a 

 professor of horticulture or a practical man, to outline in a 

 comprehensive manner any system of pruning, so that those 

 who may be listening can carry home the general ideas which 

 he intended to bring out. But we should consider the effect of 

 pruning and have some definite object for pruning, or should 

 do very little of it. Now then, what are the results that we 

 start out to secure when we prune a tree? What are the reasons 

 for pruning our trees? First, I believe it should be to keep the 

 tree well balanced and thinned out enough to admit a free cir- 

 culation of air and sunlight. Sometime during the day the sun 

 should penetrate nearly every part of the tree. Second, we 

 should prune the tree to be strong to carry its load of fruit 

 with as little propping and assistance along that line as possible. 

 We should prune to develop fruit spurs ; because we can get no 

 flower buds until we have the fruit spurs. We should also 



