80 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Pruning; is one of the most important means for bringing about a dis- 

 tributed condition of growth and productiveness. In fact a rule of 

 pruning is that "the greatest influence of a pruning cut is manifested in 

 the vicinity of that cut, though some influence is exerted throughout 

 the tree as a whole." This should certainly indicate to every wise 

 fruit grower, that a pruning which consists of many small, distributed 

 cuts, is better than one which consists of a few very large cuts, the mak- 

 ing of which may seem to require less time. 



In like manner trees can be changed from one class to another. Class 

 2 trees, with light pruning, will go into Class 3, as a larger top accumu- 

 lates, unless at the same time larger quantities of nitrogen become avail- 

 able, or are applied. Or on the other hand Class 3 trees could be made 

 to correspond to Class 2 with heavier pruning, or through very heavy 

 fertilization with materials themselves high in nitrogen or promoting 

 the accumulation of nitrogen. So too over-pruned trees in Class 1, on 

 good soils, could soon be brought into the other classes by less cutting. 

 Individual branches or shoots could be made to grow more vigorously 

 or less vigorously than their neighbors, by adjusting the amount of 

 pruning given them, balancing one off against another. 



But to apply all this more directly to the matter of alternate and 

 annual bearing. If the trees are in a condition similar to those of Class 4 

 it would be well to apply some fertilizer carrying nitrogen. This may 

 be stable manure, leguminous cover crops, or commercial fertilizers. 

 Often the application of nitrate of soda, or of sulfate of ammonia at the 

 rate of from 2 to 5 pounds per tree, depending upon its size, when the 

 fruit buds show green between the bud scales, will pioduce excellent 

 results in increased set and yield, (if any fruit buds are present), as well 

 as greater vegetativeness, during the year of such application. Along 

 with these applications of nitrogen should go a moderate, distributed 

 pruning, one consisting of the removal of a few blanches where the 

 growths have become very dense, and a thinning out at other places, 

 to encourage considerable growth among the older clusters of spurs, 

 and to bring about the growth of some blanches sufficient to throw 

 them into the class of long branches which produce mainly vegetative 

 buds during the year of their greatest growth. Many such long branches 

 will produce^ fruit buds the following year, or tiiey may produce lateral 

 fruit buds during the first season of growth. The amount of pruning to 

 be done naturally will depend upon the size of the tree, the crop it is 

 likely to produce, and the amount of fertilizer which has been, or is 

 to be applied. All these factors work together, and it is not best to 

 try to secure results through one method, alone. 



Theoretically this treatment could begin either in an "on" or an 

 "off" year, but both the pruning and fertilization would vary in amount 

 or degree, in the two cases. It should be remembered that the object 

 striven for is not the production of the greatest possible number of buds, 

 but rather about half or two thirds of the possible number, whereas 

 the remaining spurs and growing shoots will carry over in a vegetative 

 condition. So then, if the treatment is to begin in an "on" year, the 

 fertilization should be heavier than in an "off" year because not only 

 must there be a production of much greater vegetativeness of the shoots 

 but also a further development of many fruit buds already present. 

 Likewise also, fruits themselves must be developed, and they require 



