326 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OBJECT AND LIMITATIONS OF PRUNING. 

 BY MR. R. M. KELLOGG OF THREE RIVERS. 



The object of pruning is to induce fruitfulness by concentrating the 

 strength of the tree upon its fruit buds and limiting those to the ability 

 of the tree or vine to bring its fruit to high perfection without approach- 

 ing the line of exhaustion. 



An orchard or berry patch properly pruned or tilled will, under reason- 

 ably favorable climatic conditions, produce a heavy crop of fruit of the 

 finest grade every year. What we call the " off " year is the time required 

 to recuperate from the severe strain of excessive pollination and seed- 

 bearing. If the tree is limited to its ability to perfect its fruit, this " off 

 year," or more often a series of years, of unfruitfulness would not be 

 required. 



It is claimed that trees and plants have no nervous systems and are 

 insensible to either pain or congenial surroundings. We have no means 

 of knowing to what extent this is true. Indeed, we know nothing of 

 the forces that send the sap up through the tree. We only know that 

 the hair-like rootlets suck up the moisture of the soil, which is charged 

 with certain mineral substances that pass up from cell to cell through 

 the body of the tree, until the leaves are reached, where they are assim- 

 ilated and combined with certain gases taken from the air. The leaves 

 of the plant perform the same office as the stomach and lungs of an 

 animal. 



It has been shown that fully ninety-five per cent, of the weight of the 

 tree or plant is thus gathered from the atmosphere through the leaves. 

 When we burn wood, we separate carbonic and other gases, which go 

 into the atmosphere as smoke. These gases are again gathered up by 

 other trees and vegetation, and are separated by the wonderful cell 

 tissues of the leaves and combined with minerals sent up by roots, and 

 sent along down under the bark, where they are appropriated in building 

 up the wood cells which constitute the growth of the year. We know 

 this process of assimilation can only go on in the rays of the sun or 

 bright light, and that during the ni^ht and in deep shade this process 

 is partially or wholly suspended, according to the degree of light. We 

 find abundant evidence of this in the behavior of trees in deep forests. 

 All the lower limbs fail to perform their functions and die; small shrub- 

 bery dies out or makes feeble growth, while the tall trees, forcing their 

 leaves up to receive the sun's rays, grow vigorously. It seems to have 

 been one of the wise provisions of the creator to so incline the earth's 

 axis that the sun should rise well toward the northeast, pass around to 

 the south, and finally sink away in the northwest, that its rays might 

 touch the foliage on all sides of every tree or plant. Careful investiga- 

 tions show that strong fruit buds will not form in densely shaded parts 

 of the tree. Fruit will grow in shade because it only appropriates the 

 food digested by the leaves. No one ever saw a large, luscious peach 



