206 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



the ultimate conclusions from these remarkable facts. These eyes, which enable us ta 

 perform such wonderful works ; these hands— all that we ha^e— are the contributions 

 of all these litttle cells, given to us in this highly concentrated form because we can 

 better take care of and protect them all from injury in the circumstances in which 

 they are placed, than they could possibly do for themselves— and as others of their 

 kind do when left in circumstances which do no violence to their individual existence. 



The tree is like the animal. The nutritive and the digestive organs, and all the 

 reproductive functions which it exercises, originally belonged to each single cell ; and 

 each of the cells which go to make up the organic form of the tree still continue to 

 have an interest in all the operations of tree lile. 



I do not know that all of you are acquainted with these new revelations of science; 

 yet they have been proved as conclusively as ihat the world goes round the sun, and 

 in nothing perhaps is the proof greater, than that it makes many of the operations of 

 natiu-e clear which was once mysterious; and as we shall see to-night, enables us to 

 understand the right and the wrong courses in fruit culture almost as clearly defined 

 as day is from night, and to reconcile the conflicting experiences of excellent observers 

 whose contrary opinions often amuse much more than they edify mere lookers on. 



You know that one of our most intelligent friends has reduced the science of pruning- 

 to this aphorism : "Prune in winter for wood, in the summer for fi'uit." But on the 

 cell theory I have given you, wood can not be had by pruning at any season. I 

 know — we all know — that when we cut away a branch in the winter time, the parts 

 just about the spot cut away will push stronger than if such cutting had not occurred, 

 but the rest of the tree will be weakened, because the immense number of buds cut 

 away will be prevented Irom doing their duty to the mirnons of cells which depended 

 on their future action for existence. Branches push out strong after winter pruning,, 

 we all admit, but it is a temporary effort— a shock to vitality. Just as any of us 

 pursued by a mad bull, might make a mighty leap for life. It ^vould be perhaps a 

 wonderful effort and exhibit our great strength; Init like the battles of many nations, 

 a tew more such victories would be death to us all. 



. That this holds good exactly as I have put it, you can find proofs every where about 

 you. If you live in an old established town, where some of the inhabitants annually 

 lop oft" the heads of their trees, compare them with some neighbor's across the street 

 who never cut them down, and you will find that the untrimmed. trees in ten years 

 are double the size. Or go to a willow field where oziers lor baskets are made, and the 

 tops cut off every year, you will see that in twenty years, if the stocks have not given 

 out entirely, they are scarcely a foot thick, and you know how large the White or Red 

 Willow should be in twenty years. Or nearer home — examine .«ome neglected Osage 

 orange hedge in ten or twelve years, the stems are timber trees, but in a hedge cut low 

 every year the stems would hardly be as thick as one's Avrist in a whole life time. 

 Pruning therefore for wood is ah error, whether done in winter or summer. It must 

 he so, from the principles of cell growth which I have explained to you, and that it is 

 so, you have seen from the examples I have given you. Yet pruning, as a temporary 

 escape from a greater evil, like a leap from a mad bull, is often of great service; but 

 we need not be leaping or pruning forever. Common sense must tell us when to jump 

 or when to pnuie. 



It is just .so with summer prvmnrj for frv.it. You will get Osage orange balls from 



