farmers' institutes. 257 



extensive vineyards in the wine districts, they have no very large 

 areas planted to a single kind of fruit. 



Perhaps it can not .be said, however, that the German, for example, 

 is less well supplied with fruit than is the American. He plants 

 many kinds, from the early strawberry to the late apple, and also 

 plants many varieties of each fruit in order that a little may be pro- 

 duced for market each day. We plant large areas to a single variety 

 in order to market *a large quantity at a time. The German markets 

 locally in small quantity. He sells each apple, for instance, just when 

 it is ready to be eaten. With him seldom a day passes without bring- 

 ing to perfection its quota of delicious fruit. 



Horticulture in Germany partakes more of the nature of garden- 

 ing than of commercial orcharding, as we understand it in America. 

 Their fruit trees are largely planted along the road sides, thus serving 

 also as ornamental shade trees. When planted as an orchard in 

 private grounds, the space under the trees is usually planted as a 

 garden to small fruits and flowers. 



The Germans also practice fancy or ornamental methods of train- 

 ing and pruning their fruit trees. Often the fruit trees are trained 

 fan-shape against the garden wall or on trellises like vines. Espaliered 

 trees border the garden walks or artificially formed specimens occupy 

 central points in the garden. Everywhere the gardening feature 

 predominates. Fruit trees are pruned with great care and trained 

 in artificial shapes so that a few specimens furnish occupation for a 

 person. 



They prune in summer and in winter. Summer pruning con- 

 sists of shortening wood growth or in turning it into unusual direc- 

 tions to induce the formation of fruit buds and to admit air and 

 light. Winter pruning consists of distributing the branches over the 

 desired space, of thinning the fruit buds to the required number and 

 of shortening the rank wood growth so as to keep the tree sym- 

 metrical. The American orchardist could not make a living putting 

 so much labor on a single tree. 



All available space in their plantation is utilized. Under the 

 standard trees are planted the dwarfs or small varieties like the 

 Quince. The space between these smaller trees is filled with cur- 

 rants, gooseberries, small fruits and flowers, so that all the ground 

 is occupied. With the painstaking care which is given abundant 

 fruit buds are usually secured. By thinning the fruit spurs and the 

 fruit itself, the trees are prevented from overbearing and their uni- 



A— 17 



