PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 327 



or cluster of grapes unless the foliage on its branch was well developed 

 and in the full light of the sun's rays. It is true of all fruits, even down 

 to those of the most tiny plant or shrub. 



The tree must have its branches so trimmed that, while it shall be 

 symmetrical and beautiful, its foliage shall be evenly distributed to 

 receive the sun's rays. Assimilation of plant food in the shade is slow 

 and entirely suspended in the dark. Large, open spaces are not required, 

 and yet it must have free circulation of air, and, if deprived of it, would 

 suffer the same as an animal confined in a close room. 



The orchardist must have an ideal of the form he desires always in 

 his mind. Standing by the tree as received from the nursery, he must 

 in his imagination see it full grown, an ideal tree. He should cut away 

 such limbs as will interfere, and by shortening induce other branches 

 to start that the ideal shall be realized. This can not be accomplished by 

 spasmodic cutting away. It must be done annually. 



We must ever bear in mind that when a tree bears fruit it is breed- 

 ing, and that excessive pollen secretions and seed-bearing renders the 

 tree impotent as readily as in the case of an animal, and it seems to me 

 this goes far in disposing of the theory of the lack of some kind of 

 nervous system. It may not be so acute in all respects, but this exhaus- 

 tion certainly does affect the whole constitutional vigor of the tree. 



We have all observed that, in seasons of excessive bloom, when every 

 twig was loaded with flowers, the fruit which followed was not only 

 small in quantity, but gnarly and destitute of flavor; and not only that 

 year, but for several years following. The tree has no power to impart 

 to so much pollen a potency which shall impregnate the pistils with vig- 

 orous life ; and, as all fruit grows as a receptacle in which the seeds may 

 mature, the pulp or fruit will develop and take on high quality in 

 proportion to the development of the seeds. The fact that the forest 

 trees only bear large crops at long intervals, often being barren for years 

 at a time, seems to furnish evidence that unrestricted pollen-bearing is 

 the prime cause of unfruitfulness and the consequent weakness which 

 induces fungi and many diseases. I would not think of setting straw- 

 berry runners or anj- small fruit plants taken from plants which had 

 been allowed to shed their pollen unrestricted from year to year. Care- 

 ful experiments have proven conclusively that maximum crops can not 

 be grown from such plants. They should always be removed on spring- 

 set plants as soon as buds appear and before pollen secretions take 

 place. 



Experiment has shown that limbs cut away early in the winter do 

 not heal over as soon as those cut just before growth begins. Hence we 

 may delay the removal of these surplus buds and limbs until just before 

 growth begins. 



Some years ago that prince of fruitgrowers, Mr. J. N. Stearns, had a 

 X)ear orchard which bloomed every year but bore little or no fruit, and 

 what it did produce was so poor in quality as to be worthless. He deter- 

 mined to graft it to other varieties. One row was selected and fully two 

 thirds of each top was cut out for this purpose, and the remaining limbs 

 were loaded with the finest specimens, the balance of the orchard, 

 unpruned. bearing its worthless fruit as usual. Since that time he has 



