636 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cutting the main branches of the tree back to stubs and that a mod- 

 erately severe pruning or cutting back of branches one-half to three- 

 fourths inch in diameter grew vigorously, developing clean, new, thrifty 

 tops, and for the most part were loaded with attractive fruit of fine 

 quality. 



On the other hand, trees which were pruned lightly after the usual 

 plan of heading in and thinning out part of the new growth have grown 

 more slowly, were marked by smaller, less thrifty foliage, bore fruit of 

 smaller size and poorer quality, and this fall contain much more dead 

 wood. But it must be admitted that no manner of pruning will en- 

 tirely renovate a badly frozen tree. There is hardly a tree above four 

 years old on the station grounds that is not rotten in trunk and main 

 branches and held together only by the new growth which has been 

 made since the freeze. This being the case, the trees broke down badly 

 in winds and under their weight of fruit this seasop. But trees well 

 cut back, having made a greater development of new wood, were better 

 able to resist influences which tended to break them down, and doubtless 

 their lives will be considerably prolonged. 



Relative to the cultivation of winter-injured fruit trees, M. B. Waite, 

 of this department, states that "the aim should be, with good cultivation 

 and fertilization, to grow the tree out of the injury. Stable manure will 

 probably answer the requirement in some cases. Nitrate of soda at 

 the rate of 200 pounds per acre may be preferable in other cases. The 

 choice of the writer would be a complete fertilizer, consisting of nitrate 

 of soda, acid phosphate or bone meal, and muriate of potash. Such a 

 fertilizer applied just at the time growth is starting would result in 

 the best possible benefit from the nitrate." 



Mr. Eustace further reports the results of observations of eight-year- 

 old peach trees which had been sprayed in the fall with different kinds 

 of sulphur washes. These sprays killed all the fruit buds but the 

 trees made a vigorous growth during the season. On the other hand, 

 unsprayed trees which blossomed dropped all their fruit and deterio- 

 rated rapidly, many of the trees dying during the season, and it is be- 

 lieved that many thousand bearing peach trees in western New York 

 orchards which died during the summer might have been saved had 

 the crop of fruit, or part of it, been removed early in the season. 



F. A. Waugh, of the Massachusetts station, also reports the results 

 of experiments in pruning back peach trees injured by cold during the 

 winter of 1903-4. Some trees were left unpruned; some were headed 

 back near to the trunks leaving only two-thirds to three-fourths of the 

 previous season's growth was pruned back. These moderately pruned 

 trees made the best growth during the following season. Ninety-nine 

 per cent of the trees thus treated lived, while only 93 per cent of the 

 unpruned trees lived, 81 per cent of those severely cut back, and 52 

 per cent of those dehorned. 



J. C. Whitten, of the Missouri Station, also reports the results of 

 extensive experiments in pruning back frozen peach trees in 1902. 

 As the result, of his investigations he found that one-year-old trees cut 

 back nearly to the original bud, while the best growth of two-year-old 

 trees was obtained when they were cut so as to leave the trunk and spurs 



