FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL KKrORT. 79 



produced but they are weak, and exceedingly high percentage of them 

 fail to set fruit. The leaves are yellowish, the shoots of small diameter, 

 yellowish brown, and brittle in texture. At first glance the condition of 

 small weak buds resenil)lcs that of Class 1 above, but it is actually due 

 to the reverse relation of materials, and hence it must be corrected 

 through different practices. Trees are very likely to go into this class 

 4, as they grow old and exhaust the soil about them. Here also belong 

 most of the trees in old neglected orchards. 



Naturally these classes grade into one another, asd it is entirely 

 possible for any tree to be forced through all of these classes during 

 its life time, depending upon the orchard practices followed by any 

 particular grower. In fact as a tree grows older it would naturally drift 

 through the last three, at least, and parts of it would be subjected to the 

 conditions in Class 1, especially if very heavy pruning were given. And 

 yet, if these classes are accepted even in a broad, general way, it is pos- 

 sible to suggest cultural practices to correct difficulties or to maintain 

 desirable conditions, after any particular situation has been classi- 

 fied. But before giving these means of practical regulation of tree form 

 and productivity it is well to relate the classes of growths and the buds 

 they bear, to the classes above enumerated. The short growths bearing 

 vegetative buds could fall either in Class 1 or Class 4. Usually they are 

 of the Class 4 type if the trees are old, but of the former if the trees are 

 younger, and have been much overpruned. The long, vegetative shoots, 

 bearing vegetative buds, are obviously Class 2, while the shorter sturdy 

 growths bearing fruit buds are Class 3, which ranges from Class 2 to 

 Class 4 on either side. 



If these types of growth and of materials can actually be related in 

 this way, and it seems very likely that such a relation does exist, then 

 the next consideration is, how can these types be produced or main- 

 tained in practice? Two obvious means present themselves: (1), the 

 application of fertilizers, and (2), pruning. A study of the classes indi- 

 cates how these two practices should be used. Neither can be dis- 

 pensed with, if the soil is of such character that nitrogen exhaustion is 

 possible. It would be perfectly possible to force trees from Class 4 to 

 Class 3 through pruning alone, balancing off the carbohydrates against 

 such nitrogen as might be available. But such a system is wholly one 

 of substraction; one of addition of some form of nitrogen to the soil 

 would be far wiser — for in that way the materials available in the tree 

 are utilized in crop production instead of thrown away, and furthermore, 

 the possible bearing area remaining is much greater. Would then, 

 fertilizing alone, without pruning, be advisable? Again no, since atten- 

 tion must be given to the form of a tree, and the additional very im- 

 portant fact, that many trees tend to grow most vigorously only at the 

 tips of the branches if unpruned, so that the fruiting region under such 

 circumstances migrates further and further away from the center of 

 the tree, towards the outside. The most valuable, strong scaffolding 

 comes to be bare of fruiting wood. Varieties differ greatly as to the 

 speed at which this migration of the fruiting wood to the outside of the 

 tree takes place, and the readiness with which younger or renewal 

 growths naturally form near the center of the tree, or in the open spaces 

 on the larger branches. In any case, however, with most of the fruit at 

 the outside of a tree, even a small crop is capable of causing breaking. 



