Page 6 



BETTER FRUIT 



December 



proteins, etc., thai go into the fruit is 



not known. In other words, while 

 pruning may be, and probably is, a 

 means of indirectly modifying the food 

 supplj available to individual fruits on 

 the tree, we do not konw ai the presenl 

 time in what way or ways different 

 pruning practices act in lliis respect. 

 This is a question, or rather a series of 

 questions, upon which evidence is 

 badly needed. In the meantime, it is 

 unsafe to make any specific recom- 

 mendations for the influencing of food 

 supply of fruit through special pruning 

 practices. 



Mention has hern made of the fact 

 that pruning is often a means of thin- 

 ning the fruit through reducing bear- 

 ing area. Thinning itself is an opera- 

 tion performed especially with the ob- 

 ject in view of increasing size. There- 

 fore it would seem that pruning would 

 in this way lead to an increase in size — 

 presumably the same increase in size 

 that would be effected by an equally 

 severe fruit thinning. However, a more 

 careful study of the question leads to 

 the belief that such an assumption is 

 hardly warranted. A pruning that 

 effects, we will say, a 50 per cent thin- 

 ning of the fruit crop, likewise causes 

 a very material reduction in leaf area, 

 and probably a very material (though 

 not necessarily the same) reduction in 

 elaborated food that is available for the 

 development of the fruit. Thus it would 

 seem that thinning of fruit by means 

 of pruning would tend to increase size 

 through indirectly increasing the water 

 supply of the fruits that remain and at 

 the same time would tend to decrease 

 to a certain extent their available food 

 supply, and hence their size. Probably 

 the first tendency would much more 

 than outweigh the second; but it is 

 evident that the ultimate effect of prun- 

 ing upon size of fruit is uncertain; and 

 quite opposite results might be obtained 

 from different kinds or degrees or sea- 

 sons of pruning. 



There is another, and very important, 

 question to be taken into consideration 

 in this connection. Pruning will effect 

 an increase in size of fruit only as it 

 reduces the present (or future) bearing 

 area. This means a more or less per- 

 manent loss to the tree — perhaps im- 

 pairing productiveness for many years 

 to come. Few growers would care to 

 sacrifice the prospect of future crops in 

 order slightly to improve the market- 

 able grades of the current season. 

 Whatever the orchard practice in- 

 volved, any far-seeing policy considers 

 very carefully the permanent welfare 

 of the tree, this is not stating that in- 

 crease in size of fruit is not or cannot 

 be effected by certain pruning prac- 

 tices. Almost any pruning practice ma- 

 terially altering either the form or 

 functions of the tree as a whole or of 

 its parts is almost certain in some way 

 to modify size of fruit. The point to 

 emphasize is that such influences are 

 indirect rather than direct and rela- 

 tively small rather than relatively large. 

 Furthermore, they are uncertain — that 

 is, our present knowledge of pruning 

 practices and of the responses that trees 

 make to them does not warrant making 

 specific recommendations for "pruning 



for size." We cannot say thai a certain 

 kind or a certain amount of pruning 

 will be followed by a certain increase 

 in size. Size of fruil is much more 

 directly under control of the grower 

 through tillage, cover crop, fertilization, 

 irrigation and thinning practices. 



What, then, it may be asked, is the 

 role of priming as an orchard practice? 

 If it is not a certain means of con- 

 tributing to the sizing of the fruit, is it 

 to be regarded mainly as a means of 

 increasing number of fruit and per- 

 haps also as a means of lowering cost 

 of production. In other words, what 

 are the fundamental reasons for prun- 

 ing? What object or objects may the 

 grower confidently expect to realize 

 through pruning? 



A careful study of the whole question 

 would seem to indicate that its first and 

 foremost object is to provide year after 

 year for a heavy crop of blossoms. 

 Before fruit can develop flowers must 

 be produced, and before there are flow- 

 ers there must be fruit buds. Probably 

 no cultural practice affords such a 

 direct means of influencing fruit and 

 fruit-spur formation as pruning. It is 

 possible so to prune trees that there 

 will be relatively few fruit spurs and 

 fruit buds. It is likewise possible so 

 to prune them that there will be many 

 strong, vigorous spurs and an abun- 

 dant annual production of fruit buds. 

 This does not mean necessarily that 

 there will be heavy crops annually, for 

 frost, insect or fungus attack, etc., may 

 serve to ruin occasional crops and a 

 failure otherwise to properly care for 

 the orchard may tend to bring about 

 alternate fruitful and unfruitful condi- 

 tions in the tree. But with good care in 

 other respects pruning is an efficient 

 means of regulating the number of fruit 

 buds produced. 



Of course, it would be possible so 

 to prune as each year to provide for 

 only a limited number of fruit buds 

 and fruit and thus indirectly aid in 

 sizing. Within certain limits this is 

 to be regarded as good practice; but 

 it would seem the part of greater wis- 

 dom so to prune as always to insure 

 a supply of fruit buds considerably 

 in excess of that actually needed so as 

 more nearly to insure a good crop even 

 in the face of conditions unfavorable 

 for fruit setting. Other orchard prac- 

 tices, such as thinning of fruit, can then 

 be depended upon to reduce numbers 

 when necessary, and still other prac- 

 tices such as cultivation and irrigation 

 can be depended upon to take care 

 of size. 



It should not be inferred from what 

 has been said that because pruning is 

 not a very reliable means of increasing 

 size, it is not a means of improving 

 grades. Color is an even more impor- 

 tant factor than size in determining the 

 grade of apples. While the red colors 

 apparently are dependent upon sunlight 

 more than upon other factors, pruning 

 affords us our best means of withhold- 

 ing light from, or admitting it to, the 

 ripening fruit. 



There are other indirect ways in 

 which pruning contributes to improved 

 grades. It should be a means of open- 

 ing up the tree so as to render possible 



more efficient spraying, thus reducing 

 scab and other infection. It should 

 practically insure against limb rub. 

 Furthermore, pruning is one of our 

 mosl efficient means of lowering pro- 

 duction costs. This it does mainly 

 through rendering easier many or- 

 chard operations, such as thinning, 

 spraying, cultivating, harvesting. These, 

 however, are to be regarded more as 

 incidental or secondary objects of prun- 

 ing rather than primary objects. 



It is realized that this may be con- 

 sidered a rather peculiar way to treat 

 such a topic as that announced on the 

 program — "Pruning for Size." We gen- 

 erally look for suggestions as to what 

 may, rather than what may not, be ac- 

 complished. But whenever a condition 

 arises like that presented this last sea- 

 son — a large percentage of the fruit 

 running in the small sizes — there is at 

 once a demand for information relat- 

 ing to the bearing of each and every 

 orchard practice upon its treatment or 

 correction. To find out that improve- 

 ment is not to be. sought through some 

 particular practice is really of nearly 

 as much use as to find that it is to be 

 sought through some other practice. It 

 is well that the grower study carefully 

 each of his orchard operations in their 

 relation to the various functions of the 

 tree, for only by so doing can he more 

 nearly approach the ideal in orchard 

 management. If the discussion which 

 this article arouses will lead to a better 

 understanding of the true role of prun- 

 ing in orchard practice, its object will 

 have been realized. 



Storing Vegetables. 

 By storing, it is comparatively easy 

 to keep such vegetables as beets, car- 

 rots, cabbage, celery, dry beans, dry 

 lima beans, onions, parsnips, potatoes, 

 sweet potatoes. With the exception of 

 beans and turnips, these crops may be 

 stored in the cellar, in pits or banks, 

 or in caves and outdoor cellars. Pits 

 or banks should be made in a well- 

 drained location. A shallow excava- 

 tion some 8 or 10 inches deep and of 

 suitable size, should be made. This is 

 lined with straw or leaves and the 

 vegetables placed in a conical pile on 

 this material. The vegetables are then 

 covered with straw and then earth, the 

 depth depending upon the severity of 

 the winter. The pits may be covered 

 with additional straw, corn stover or 

 manure during very severe weather. 

 The outdoor cellar or cave is even 

 more satisfactory but the entailed ex- 

 pense is greater. Beans may be kept 

 in any dry place such as the attic or 

 pantry. Now is the time of the year 

 to care for these crops so that they 

 may be made available during the 

 winter and early spring. 



"Eat less candy; the allies need the 

 sugar," says the Food Administration. 

 "All right," our patriotic farm boys and 

 girls are saying; "nuts and popcorn are 

 better, anyway." 



Tool sheds haven't risen in price 

 nearly so fast as farm machinery. 



