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BETTER FRUIT 



Page IS 



readily upon shoots in certain portions 

 of the tree than upon shoots in other 

 portions — and if so, why? Are they 

 more prone to develop from certain 

 portions than from certain other por- 

 tions of the same shoot? These are not 

 merely academic questions, for the re- 

 sults that we obtain from our pruning 

 practices very largely depend upon 

 their answers. Fortunately we are not 

 without answers to some of them. 

 Careful examination will show that 

 practically all spurs starting to develop 

 any one season start out from shoot 

 growth of the season before. A few 

 develop from shoot growth of the cur- 

 rent season, i. c. from the new wood, 

 but the number developing in this way 

 is comparatively small. Very rarely do 

 we find spurs developing from wood 

 older than the past season's growth. 

 Just why this is true it might be difTi- 

 cult fully to answer, but the fact re- 

 mains that it is only in exceptional 

 cases that buds that were formed 

 during, say, the season of 1910 develop 

 into spurs later than 1911. That is if 

 spurs do not start to develop from them 

 in 1911 we cannot expect to obtain 

 spurs from them in later years. They 

 may grow out into shoots in later years, 

 under the stimulus of very heavy, 

 pruning, heavy fertilization, etc., but 

 they are not apt to develop into fruit 

 spurs. This fact should carry an im- 

 portant lesson for the fruitgrower, for 

 it means that if he is to have fruit 

 spurs in the lower and interior part of 

 his tree he must develop them when 

 the tree is young, when that part of the 

 tree is year-old growth. If the interior 

 part of the tree is prevented from de- 

 veloping fruit spurs by too severe 

 pruning, or if spurs once formed there 

 are broken or pruned off, it is practi- 

 cally impossible to develop them there 

 again, except indirectly upon new 

 sucker or shoot growth that may be 

 encouraged. The fruitgrower should 

 come to look upon the shoot growth of 

 his trees as material that is capable of 

 yielding fruit spurs directly only for a 

 year. If it does not furnish him fruit 

 spurs within that period it loses its 

 value as fruit-producing wood and is 

 useful simply as a support for newer 

 wood that may produce fruit. 



From what has been said one would 

 infer that the question of whether or 

 not the lateral buds of a shoot are, or 

 are not, to develop into spurs is more 

 or less under the grower's control. 

 This is actually the case. Examination 

 of the buds along an average apple 

 shoot will disclose the fact that some 

 are very small and poorly developed. 

 They look as though they may have 

 been poorly nourished. Others are 

 large and plump, giving evidence of 

 being strong and vigorous. If such a 

 shoot is observed as growth starts in 

 the spring, it will be noted that usually 

 it is only the large plump buds that 

 push out and form new shoots and 

 spurs. Should the small weak buds 

 "break" under the stimulus of heavy 

 pruning, it is generally shoot growtii 

 rather than spurs that develop from 

 them; and if they "break" and form 

 spurs, and spurs are weak and soon die 

 out or cease to grow. In other words, 



THESE THREE BULLETINS 

 Give you the latest scientific informatian regarding 



ORCHARD PESTS AND DISEASES 



and their proper control with 



and the right time to use 



Orchard Brand Arsenate of Lead 

 Orchard Brand Atomic Sulphur 



ALSO 



Universal Brand Dormant Soluble Oil 

 Universal Brand Distillate Oil Emulsion 



Our Bureau of Research is ready to help you at any time. 



If you have any orchard diseases or pests write to Mr. Foster, 

 giving him a full description of the conditions and he will tell you 

 what to use and how to use it. 



Orchard Brand products can be obtained from the following: 



GILBERT & DEWITT. 



Hood River, Oregon. 

 BALFOUR. GUTHRIE & CO.. 



Portland, Oregon. 

 C. J. SINSEL, 



Boise, Idaho. 

 ROGUE RIVER CO-OPERATIVE 

 FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOC, 



Medford, Oregon. 



MORGON, McKAlG & CO.. 



North Yakima, Washington. 

 WELLS & WADE. 



Wenatchee, Washington. 

 SAMUEL LONEY & CO., 



Walla Walla, Washington 

 McGOWAN BROTHERS HARD- 

 WARE CO . 



Spokane, Washington. 



Mail the Coupon to Dept. F-3 



General Chemical Company, San Francisco, California 



Insecticide Department, General Chemical Company, 



Dept. F-3, San Francisco, California. 



Please send me free bulletins regarding the control of orchard pests and diseases. I have 



acres apples acres pears acres apricots acres almonds 



acres peaches acres prunes acres cherries acres grapes 



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WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



