18 



as from one-half to three-fourths of the new wood. Its heavy bearing qualities make 

 it necessary often to thin very heavily. Burbank also bears some fruit on the new 

 or one-year wood. Besides thinning out and heading in, as mentioned, the tree 

 must be pruned upward. 



With Wickson the dense top must be thinned, but the pruning must be to 

 induce growth downward, not upward. This variety, as far as growth and pruning 

 are concerned, resembles somewhat the Yellow Transparent apple and requires much 

 the same treatment. 



The domestica plums vary as much as the Japanese, and with a few rules 

 they must be left. The illustrations will be somewhat of a guide, but only a guide, 

 as the requirements of each variety are very varied. 



(1) Cut out all cross and tangled limbs. 



(2) Let some sunlight in at the top, but not as much as with the apple. 



(3) But little heading in is necessary. 



(4) Thin out so the sunlight is fairly evenly distributed throughout the tree. 



(5) Prune horizontal trees upward and upright trees downward. 



(6) Study the fruiting habit; that is, examine all buds and spurs and find 

 out how the buds are borne and which ones bear blossoms and fruit. Are they on 

 one, two or three-year wood, lateral, terminal or on spurs. Pruning can be done 

 intelligently only when these things are observed. 



The illustration on page 17 is a good type of a spreading tree and that 

 on page 19 of an upright tree. 



The fruit buds are for the most part borne on spurs, on wood older than one 

 year. Some Japanese varieties bear on one-year wood — Burbanks partly — and in 

 such cases the cutting back of new growth thins the fruit. This will not apply 

 to Domesticas and Americanas. Fruit buds are generally in clusters of from two 

 to six or seven and sometimes more on a spur. Their size and form is very similar 

 to leaf buds and their denomination is more to be determined from position than 

 any other characteristic. The central bud may be considered a leaf bud and the 

 near lateral buds fruit buds. 



The general opinion is that plums do not require as severe pruning as some 

 other fruits, but nevertheless we sometimes see pruning carried to the extreme 

 with no harmful results. The writer has visited orchards where the trees (Brad- 

 ^haw), were as open headed as any Baldwin apple in Ontario, headed in severely 

 at the top and all growth forced downward. In one orchard of this type the 

 trees were set about 20 by 30 feet, diagonally, and were good yielders of fruit of 

 good quality. The writer has also visited orchards where the other extreme was 

 practised. On one orchard in particular the trees were planted 10 by 12, pruned 

 high, all the lower limbs and ground were shaded, and yet for the first foot or 

 two in the tops the trees promised well and the owner claimed a profitable 

 orchard. 



What then are we to do in the face of the greatest extremes. Individual 

 tastes only can answer. The habits of the varieties must be studied and the 

 trees pruned accordingly. 



Cultivation, Fertilizing, and Cover- Cropping. 



The three above headings are each in themselves worthy of discussion and 

 .scientific investigation, but at present it seems that as far as practical results are 

 concerned they are best discussed together. Thorough cultivation is the cheapest 

 fertilizer obtainable. Cover crops add the humus that breaks down, and makes not 

 only its own substance available, but also the locked up plant food in the soil. 



