40 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



forms in a layer or ring upon its surface. These rings do not neces- 

 sarily represent each a season's growth, but rather a period of growth 

 and ripening. Take the pear for example: the growth of spring and 

 early summer is checked and ripens; this forms a ring of new wood 

 upon the surface of last season's growth, the thickness of which de- 

 pends upon the length of time and rapidity of its growth. Later in the 

 season a second growth often takes place, which also forms a ring upon 

 the surface of the previous one, and we have two distinct rings formed 

 in a single year ; for this reason the exact age of a tree cannot be told 

 by the number of its rings, as they represent only so many different 

 periods of growth ; still we can tell very nearly how old a tree is'by 

 counting the number of its rings. 



As a general rule, the growth of a tree in length is most rapid dur- 

 ing spring and early summer. With many trees this is completed within 

 six or eight weeks from the time they first start in spring; after this the 

 greatest growth in diameter takes place, which in many cases causes 

 the bark to split, the formation of new growth being more rapid than 

 the expansion of the bark ; whenever this is noticed, the bark should 

 be split with a sharp knife, cutting completely through the bark, ex- 

 tending the cut for some distance both above and below where it has 

 burst. This cut should never be made on the side exposed to the sun, 

 as the direct rays shining into the opening made by the cut are liable 

 to destroy the new growth as it tries to heal the wound, and a dead 

 place the entire length of the cut is almost sure to be the result. The 

 question is sometimes asked, When does a bearing tree make its 

 greatest growth — the year it bears or the year it does not ! and the 

 answer usually given is the year it does not bear of course, j^ow the 

 fact is simply this, a tree developing a heavy crop of fruit uses all of its 

 energies in perfecting that fruit, and cannot store up any considerable 

 amount of food for next season's growth, so that when spring comes it 

 has not this surplus material ready prepared for use from which to 

 draw, in consequence of which the new growth is slow and weak, the 

 tree is tired from the over-work of last year and needs a rest, which it 

 gets the year it does not bear. The little growth it makes is made dur- 

 ing the early part of the season, the remainder of it is spent in develop- 

 ing fruit buds for the future crop and storing up food ready for use the 

 coming spring. With this to draw from, the new growth pushes forth 

 strong and vigorous, and is completed before the fruit gets large enough 

 to draw to any considerable extent upon the vigor of the tree; and for 

 this reason the most vigorous growth of a bearing tree is made the 

 same season that it produces its crop of fruit. 



It is for this same reason that a tree does not bear a full crop of 

 fruit every year. The fruit buds are formed the year before they pro- 



