Page 20 



BETTER FRUIT 



November 



One Quality 

 One Service 



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"REX quality" as Spray materials win the 

 award of merit whenever tested. Our busi- 

 ness is entirely the production of Spray 

 materials. 



Yakima Rex Spray Company 

 Wenatchee Rex Spray Company 

 Payette Valley Rex Spray Company 



Special Clubbing Offer 



We offer below some splendid clubbing lists. By renewing your sub- 

 scription to Better Fruit you can take advantage of this offer. If you are 

 already a subscriber we will extend your subscription one year from the 

 date it expires. If any of our subscribers desire different clubbing arrange- 

 ments, we shall be pleased to quote them from this office. These offers do 

 not apply to Canadian or foreign subscriptions. 



Better Fruit ?1.00 



Review of Reviews... 3.00 

 Northwest Poultry 



Journal 75 



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Popular Science 



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All for 3.10 



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Both for 2.75 



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Woman's Home Com- 

 panion l..'>0 



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Weekly Oregonian. ... 1.00 

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Both for 1.75 



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McCall's Magazine 75 



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All for 2.10 



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Both for 1.10 



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Women's Home Com- 

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Twice a Week Spokes- 

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Pruning by Principle 



By Harvey Currin, Sunnydale Orchards, Drain, Oregon 



THE method we have used with most 

 success in teaching men to prune is 

 by impressing upon them the principles 

 of pruning, the effects and results of 

 different cuts and reasons why, rather 

 than by .showing them how to prune. 

 A knowledge gained in this way makes 

 for more intelligent and less mechanical 

 work, enabling the pruner to vary his 

 treatment to suit each particular case. 

 The importance of this is evident, since 

 trees of different varieties and ages and 



under different cultural methods, con- 

 ditions of growth and vitality each pre- 

 sents quite a different problem, re- 

 quiring different pruning treatment. 



The pruning of young trees require 

 imagination. Whether pruning to the 

 open-center, leader, or modification of 

 either type, one must have in mind the 

 ideal characteristics the tree should 

 have at the bearing age, then prune to 

 direct the whole energies of the tree 

 toward that end. The prime considera- 



tions are, first, strength to hold a maxi- 

 mum load; second, a form with fruit- 

 ing area as accessible as possible, yet 

 not interfering with cultivation, and, 

 third, an aljundance of fruiting wood 

 well distributed where the tree can best 

 bear the load and with suflicient light 

 lo enable the fruit buds to function and 

 the fruit to color. Strength may be 

 promoted by avoiding crotches, having 

 the main branches spread on the trunk 

 and issue at a good angle, and by keep- 

 ing the fruiting area not too far from 

 the central axis of the tree. The nat- 

 ural graft by intertwining shoots is a 

 cheap and efficient means of strength- 

 ening the main branches and prevent- 

 ing excessive spread during the early 

 bearing stage. 



Some hold that it is best to allow the 

 tree to begin bearing gradually, start- 

 ing the fourth or fifth year, maintain- 

 ing that to bring them in with a bang 

 the seventh or eighth year makes for 

 alternate bearing. The writer is in- 

 clined to favor holding back the fruit- 

 ing until the tree has attained a profit- 

 able bearing size, then bring them in 

 with a bang and endeavor by careful 

 thinning, pruning and good cultivation 

 to make them bang the following year 

 and each year following. Scattering, 

 desultory fruiting before the tree can 

 bear a paying crop is a detriment. It 

 checks the wood growth and delays the 

 time when the tree will begin paying a 

 profit. The spraying on such crops is 

 usually done at a loss, and if not done 

 these scattering fruits will increase the 

 brood of worms throughout the orchard 

 before the trees do attain profitable 

 bearing. Grow a big tree quickly and 

 the fruiting balance will be easily 

 established by allowing the top to catch 

 up with the roots. 



The one big principle to keep in mind 

 is that the formation of fruit spurs, 

 fruit buds and the ability of those buds 

 to blossom is a matter of nutrition. 

 The supply of nourishment a bud re- 

 ceives decides its action and this 

 supply depends upon the supply of 

 both sap and sunlight to the leaves sur- 

 rounding the bud. The lack of either 

 means starvation. The sap cannot be 

 used by the buds until it has first been 

 digested or transformed into starch. 

 This is brought about only in the 

 leaves and by action of sunlight. The 

 control of the supply of both sap and 

 sunlight to the leaves is in the hands 

 of the pruner. Let us examine the 

 effects of different treatment. The re- 

 moval of too much wood destroys the 

 balance between the top and roots. In 

 its effort to correct this the tree throws 

 out wood growth, forcing many would- 

 be-fruit buds into watersprouts which 

 shade and choke other fruit buds. Thus 

 fruit buds are starved for sunlight on 

 account of too much sap. Too little 

 pruning might result in starvation for 

 either or both. A lack of wood growth 

 indicates a poor supply of sap and 

 some wood should be removed that the 

 balance may be fully supplied. If there 

 is abundance of wood growth the re- 

 moval of some is necessary that the 

 balance may receive enough light to 

 properly nourish its fruit buds. The 



