ipi6 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 2g 



\ 



just been pointed out that bulk pruning 

 is mainly influential in the stimulation 

 of watersprouts, and not the main fruit 

 spur system or normal vegetative growth 

 of the tree. There is certainly very lit- 

 tle reason to believe that watersprouts 

 can, or at least do, take the place of the 

 normal vegetative (shoot) growth in 

 contributing to the welfare of nearby 

 fruit spurs and to the welfare of the 

 tree as a whole. Furthermore, they are 

 comparatively slow in developing a 

 fruit spur system of their own; so it 

 may be questioned whether or not they 

 are really very useful in the economy 

 of the average tree (except of course 

 for special purposes, such as rebuilding 

 a new top in cases of renovation, etc.). 

 To stimulate the formation of fruit 

 spurs and to increase the efficiency of 

 those already in our possession requires 

 that pruning must be alTorded close to 

 the point where we wish them formed 

 or where they already are, for we have 

 seen that the radius of the influence of 

 pruning is comparatively narrow. This 

 in turn means light, or rather fine, as 

 opposed to coarse pruning. In other 

 words, it means pruning that is distri- 

 buted throughout the tree top, for the 

 spurs and normal vegetative shoots are 

 thus distributed. Our tendency must be 

 in the direction of the removal or cut- 

 ting back of a larger number of smaller 

 branches. It will be necessary more 

 and more to get away from the idea 

 of what has been called bulk pruning 

 and to give greater attention to detail. 

 Theoretically, pruning should concern 

 itself mainly with shoots and spurs 

 rather than with older or larger wood. 

 Practically, it should be limited to the 

 shoots, spurs and smaller branches. 

 Of course, in the case of trees that have 

 been neglected for several years, some 

 exceptions must be made. Just because 

 the removal of a larger number of 

 smaller branches necessitates the exer- 

 cise of better judgment and perhaps 

 takes a little more time and requires 

 greater skill than the removal of a 

 smaller number of larger ones, this 

 should not deter us from the best 

 method of procedure. 



Carrying the line of reasoning a step 

 further, it becomes evident that pruning 

 should be a regular, rather than an 

 irregular orchard operation. This is a 

 statement that most growers know to be 

 true from observation and experience, 

 though the reasons therefor may not 

 have been clearly understood. However, 

 the points that have been brought out 

 furnish an explanation of some of the 

 characteristic results following irregu- 

 lar i)runing. Trees left unpruned for 

 several years usually seem to demand 

 the removal of some of the larger 

 brandies or limbs. This approaches 

 the bulk type of pruning that has been 

 described, and as such stimulates new 

 vegetative growth, rather than invigor- 

 ating the older fruiting wood; and new 

 vegetative growth in trees of this sort 

 is as apt to increase as to diminish diffi- 

 culties. If the pruning that is to be 

 afforded our orchard trees is to be such 

 as will help establish and maintain 

 rather than disturb a proper balance 

 between vegetative and fruiting wood 

 it must be attended to every year. 



(^THE GOOD OUDQE FINDS WEN SWITCHING FROM OrTpiNARV TOBftCCo) 



WELL. I SEE YOU ARE 

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! YEP. WITH OTHERMNDSI 

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T-- IT's") 

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