HORTICULTURE. 148 



tn'iiiiiiis the greater the miniber, length, and weight of new shoots formed and 

 the increase in girtli of the original branch. 



The reduction in pruning jippears more marlced as regards the crop. Witli 

 the dwarf apiile trees, during the first ."> years, the crops from tlie unpruned 

 trees were more than twice as great as from those moderately pruned, and 

 mure tbau three times as great as from those hard pruned. These differences 

 were increased during the second period of 5 years, and at the end of the 

 twelfth year the unpruned trees yielded nearly three times as much as the 

 moderately pruned ones, while the hard-pruned trees had practically no crop at 

 ;ill. (Only 1 variety was in fruit for comparison during the twelfth year.) 



Similar results were obtained in 11)00 with trees of 53 and 80 varieties of the 

 rrah and paradise stocks, respectively. The trees were not allowed to overbear 

 and it is claimed that the size of fruit obtained from trees primed to different 

 extents was approximately the same, hence the values of the crops were pro- 

 portional to the weights. Confirmatory evidence of the antagonism of pruning 

 to fruiting was obtained by counting the fruit-buds formed on similar branches 

 of the same tree, which were cut back to different extents. All of the above 

 results refer to healthy, vigorous, groAving trees. 



With the dwarf apple trees (15 years old) the authors find that hard pruning 

 now results in an increase of the new wood formed, but that the crops are even 

 more reduced by the pruning than in former years. This result is said to apply 

 also to trees which have become stunted, as from root injury in transplanting. 



Since hard pruning has been shown to be the correction for fruiting, it is con- 

 iluded that freshly planted trees should be cut back hard to prevent stunting 

 liy precocious fruiting. With trees which were not cut hack mitil the end of 

 the first season the average size of the leaf was 2-t per cent less and the new 

 wood formed 45 per cent less than with similar trees cut back when planted. 

 The ultimate result was found to be that trees not cut back until the end of the 

 first year continued to form wood in subsequent years and the crop borne by 

 them during the fii'st 10 years was only one-third of that borne by those which 

 were cut l)ack when planted. 



Experiments on apples, pears, and plums show that the date of cutting back a 

 freshly planted tree is immaterial, providing it is done before growth begins. 

 If delayed until after the growth is well started the season's growth is much 

 reduced. This point was investigated with older, slightly stunted plum trees. 

 The results were the same when the lopping was done during the dormant 

 period. Lopping toward the end of ^lay, or a few weeks after growth started, 

 resulted in a less growth during the year, which was more than compensated by 

 an additional growth during the succeeding season. Summer pruning, however, 

 ajipears to be inifavorable for wood production. 



While it appears to be established from these experiments that the crops are 

 larger and the growth of the tree is greater in proportion as the pruning is 

 reducetl. the authors are of the opinion that another series of experiments might 

 demonstrate that a certain amount of iiruning may be good and even lead to 

 better results than those ol>tained from their work, especially with certain 

 varieties of apples which differ largely in their habits and require different 

 treatment. The general conclusions reached are that prunings should be reduced 

 to the lowest possible limits consistent with the formation of a tree of sufficient 

 sturdiness to bear its crops with safety, which in most cases would mean 

 liesides the cutting back after planting a gradually reduced pruning for the 

 first four or five yeai's. Truning after this time should consist merel.v in the 

 removal of interfering branches and unripiMu-d wood. With precocious varie- 

 ties or very weak growers the i)runing should l>e greater or continued longer. 

 More pruning is required with standard than with dwarf trees, since with the 



