The Apple in Oregon. , 149 



of the individual habits of growth. Pruning has been indiscriminate. 

 Not principles, but practices have prevailed in the direction of the work, 

 until we can find trees of Western Oregon cast in the same mould as 

 those of California or Southern and Eastern Oregon. Pears, apples, 

 plums, and cherries have been treated alike as to cutting back, form 

 of head, and style of branching! The practice foUowed with a species 

 in a particular section, giving good results, has often been heralded as 

 the ideal form for all fruit trees in, at least, the same cultural zone. 



That such a course is most ill-advised can be readily seen if one 

 will but observe the trees growing in any well-kept home orchard, and 

 it may be said just here that the beginner in this work of growing 

 an orchard would be well repaid by making a study of some of the 

 best kept local orchards. Nothing can give one so good an idea of the 

 traits of character of the different fruit trees as a study of the real 

 plants as they develop under the band of a good orchardist. 



