14 Second Annual Repoet 



branches to come at a distance of 6 or 12 inches apart; then you 

 have no leader in the tree ; the tree is straight up to begin with. 

 That is the start of the vase form of pruning. After the tree 

 has made one year of growth, three or four of the best branches 

 should be left, all the rest cut away. The second year, two 

 branches can be left on each of these main branches, and all the 

 rest cut away, and this can be carried on for three or four years. 

 Then you have your main framework of the tree. Then you 

 can leave some branches for fruiting, not even cut off the ends, 

 unless you want to; but it isn't wise with a pear tree to leave any 

 branches on next the main branches which will form your frame- 

 work, because some varieties of pears are apt to throw out fruit 

 spurs on the main branches, and if you are afflicted with pear 

 blight this gives a chance for that to get started on the trunk. 

 Of course this method cannot be kept up indefinitely. There 

 comes a time when you will have too many branches and then 

 you must do as you see fit. 



After the pruning of the tree in the spring the next thing 

 is cultivation, which is just as necessary to the growth of the 

 young tree as to the hill of corn. The cultivation is for the 

 same result; the preservation of the moisture and liberating the 

 fertility of the soil. This should be continued throughout the 

 summer, until about the first of July, or into July; it encourages 

 growth, all the time it is continued, and without growth you 

 cannot have the new wood and the buds ; but if it is continued 

 longer than that, the wood which is grown is apt to be immature,, 

 and stands a great chance to winterkill. It is advisable not to 

 cultivate longer than the time named. 



In regard to fertilizing. 



I have fertilized indirectly ; I hjave raispd short crops between 

 the rows of trees, plants not growing high, like potatoes, toma- 

 toes, cabbage, etc., which require a good liberal fertilizer, and 

 the trees draw on this indirectlv. This is all the fertilizinsf I 

 have ever practiced, but I should not discourage anybody in the 

 use of direct fertilizer on the trees,, if they saw fit, and I should 

 do it myself if I didn't fertilize them indirectly, by crops. 



As far as spraying the young orchard is concerned, I don't 

 think it is necessary to prevent disease, if good cultivation is 

 given. If injurious insects get on the trees you will have to 

 spray with some poison, but as far as blight and diseases which 

 affect the fruit go, I don't think it is necessary to spray for these. 

 Cultivation will keep the trees growing, and accomplish, the 

 desired results. 



