Page 10 



BETTER FRUIT 



January, ip20 



FiGVRE 14. An ideal form of Bartlett pear tree in full fruit production. Of 



special interest is the upright form of the main branches or framework of the 



tree and the crooked stub form of the smaller wood. 



nnd remove enough wood to maintain 

 tile vigor of the tree. Mature trees in 

 heavy bearing require licavy annual 

 pruning. The top .should be kept .suffi- 

 ciently open to let some of the direct 

 rays of the run reach well into the 

 center. 



The pear bears its fruit from blos- 

 soms borne in winter terminal buds on 

 spurs, and the heavy fruiting tree tends 

 to fill the top with short crooked spur 

 wood. This must be greatly thinned 

 each year at the same time the strong 

 terminal branches are cut back. By 

 carefully maintaining a balance, these 

 spurs will continue a vigorous growth 

 at the same time the outer branches are 

 making strong wootl growth. 



The varieties of pears differ greatly 

 in their habits of growth and the sys- 

 tem of pruning followed must be espe- 

 cially adapted to each variety. The 

 Bartlett and the Kielfer are very vigor- 

 ous growers as young trees and all the 

 branches grow nearly straight up. 

 Heavj- winter pruning seems to ac- 

 centuate this characteristic. The older 

 trees develop a more rounded top. The 

 Winter Nelis produces such crooked 

 branches that all that can be done for 

 it is to thin out the top to admit light 

 and cut back some of the longest and 

 strongest growing shoots. In pears, as 

 in apples, heavy pruning of young trees 

 tends to delay fruit production and if 

 not well done will do more harm than 

 if ijruning had been neglected. 



The presence of diseases sometimes 

 makes it necessary to cut away most 

 of the fruiting spurs developing on the 

 large branches. This, however, should 

 be practiced only as an expedient under 

 abnormal conditions. 



Northwest Fruitmen Discuss Production Problems 



THE joint meeting of the Wa.shing- 

 ton State Horticultural Association 

 and the Northwest Fruit Growers' 

 Conference held in Spokane in the early 

 part of December resulted in assembl- 

 ing one of the most notable gatherings 

 of fruitmen and others interested in 

 horticulture that has taken place in re- 

 cent years. All of the Northwest states 

 were represented and keen and intelli- 

 gent interest was taken in all of the 

 subjects discussed — the kind of inter- 

 est that forced the conclusion that the 

 200 or more representative Northwest 

 fruitmen who were in attendance were 

 in the fruit business as an industry and 

 not from the speculative point of view. 

 In fact the "boom" element was notice- 

 ably absent. It was evident also, that 

 the fruit growers from the regions rep- 

 resented are not being led astray by the 

 high prices that have obtained for the 

 past two years and that although they 

 look forward to the future with confi- 

 dence that they are taking the necessary 

 steps, through lower costs of produc- 

 tion, more practical and scientific cul- 

 tural methods, better packing and grad- 

 ing and improved marketing facilities, 

 to meet contingencies that may arise 

 under normal conditions. 



By W. H. Walton 



Sectional Rivalries Dropped. 



The dropping of sectional rivalries 

 was also another feature that was ob- 

 vious. This was particularly shown 

 in the desire of the representatives from 

 the various states to establish a stand- 

 ard Northwest grade and pack, although 

 this was not accomplished owing to the 

 fact that Oregon and Montana have no 

 state grading laws. The three-grade 

 pack was retained and it is hoped at 

 some future time it may be possible to 

 establi-sh uniform grades and pack for 

 the entire Pacific Northwest. If the 

 two-grade pack had been adopted by 

 Washington, which was proposed, it 

 would have. undoubtedly delayed united 

 action on this much desired result for 

 a long time and might have killed it. 

 The spirit of cooperation was also man- 

 ifested along other lines. In fact it 

 was referred to by almost every speaker 

 who addressed the meetings and was 

 the common theme in nearly every con- 

 versation of growers. The revelations 

 of G. Harold Powell, General Manager 

 of the California Fruit Growers' Ex- 

 change as to the success of that organ- 

 ization in handling the marketing and 

 other problems of the citrus fruit 

 producers were undoubtedly an eye- 



Conlinued on page 36. 



E. F. BENSON 



Washington State Commissioner of Agriculture 



wlio urges the nbolisliment of sectional lines 



in handling the problems of Northwest 



fi'uil growers. 



