THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 301 



late in the fall, the trees will harden up late and they are also more 

 subject to the attacks of blight. Likewise if trees are over-irrigated 

 the ravages of blight are very severe. 



COVER CROPS. 



Cover crops are being used in all orchards where the soil is in bad 

 physical condition or where the trees are not making satisfactory 

 growth. Leguminous crops, generally mixed somewhat wnth rye or oats, 

 are the crops which are used more than the others. 



SHADE CROPS. 



Shade crops are not being used extensively. There are one or two 

 orchards in the Northwest in which clover and alfalfa are being grown 

 among the pear trees quite successfully. However, this is in the 

 experimental stage and has some dangerous aspects. If the pear trees 

 are over-stimulated under such treatment, the results may be disastrous. 



PRUNING. 



Of course in pruning there are many differences of opinion. Most 

 trees are headed low so that the first branches come 15 or 20 inches 

 from the ground. Nearly all the growers believe in the low-headed 

 tree. In fact we all now practice what is called the open-headed tree, 

 believing that the open or goblet .shaped tree is one in which the blight 

 can be more easily controlled than with the tree that has a leader. 

 However, I feel that a large majority of our growers in choosing the 

 open tree have gone to extremes. If they will grow what I call a 

 modified leader — that is, allow the leader to grow the first two years 

 so as to give good spaces between the main branches and then suppress 

 the leader — they will have a more satisfactory tree, and have better 

 crotches. In this case, if blight ever gets into the crotch of the tree, it 

 will not be as disastrous as is true of the typical open trees. This 

 gives a very sturdy trunk and a beautiful distribution of branches and 

 a stronger tree, I believe, than can be secured in any other way. 



The treatment given the first two or three years is very similar to 

 that given to apples. The trees are generally headed back in the early 

 spring so that from a third to a half of the growth has been removed 

 and the remaining stubs left are from 8 to 15 inches in length. 

 However, from work we have done in our experiment station, we are 

 of the opinion that summer pruning can be very satisfactorily practiced 

 with pears. With young trees this should be done in June and July or 

 at the time when the terminal growth is getting rangy. The terminal 

 growth should then be cut back so as to force out the laterals where 

 you desire them. If this is done j^ou can gain practically a year in 

 the growth of the tree and will not get the disastrous after effect of 

 heavy dormant pruning, which always gives a very vigorous growth, 

 so undesirable and typical of such varieties as the Bartlett. Pears on 

 the whole should be given light annual pruning. 



We believe that when the trees get old and the fruit is beginning to 

 fall off in size, a thorough dehorning of the tree as practiced by many 

 growers, is undesirable. We prefer to take hand pruning shears and 

 thin out the spurs, thus throwing the vigor of the tree into a less 

 number of spurs. This seems to revitalize the tree and gives splendid 

 results. 



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