186 THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



era man this will appear like a foolish question, and he 

 will at once say, Why, yes, of course ; prune fruit trees 

 everywhere. To the western man it will not appear so 

 foolish ; indeed, many men upon the Plains would say 

 No! in answer to this question. Where is the trouble? 

 Plainly a difference in conditions. The eastern fruit-grower 

 has learned by experience that pruning is an essential part 

 of his method of treatment. The western grower, on the 

 other hand, has not only found that he can produce good 

 fruit without pruning, but has sometimes found injurious 

 results from it. He may, therefore, if his experience is 

 somewhat limited, jump at the conclusion that all prun- 

 ing is to be avoided. Some of the reasons for pruning 

 which apply in the moister climate of the eastern states 

 lose their force wholly, or in part, upon the Plains. The 

 eastern grower finds it necessary to thin his trees and 

 admit light and air to produce fruit of high color and 

 good flavor. The western man, on the other hand, finds 

 that, under his conditions of intense sunlight and low 

 humidity, fruit will develop color well regardless of such 

 precautions. The eastern grower, if he neglects this, 

 may find his fruit suffering from attacks of fungous dis- 

 eases; but in general, fungi are less troublesome in the 

 dryer climate of the Plains, so this reason likewise loses 

 its force. 



"Yet there are reasons for pruning which are worthy 

 of consideration, even in Nebraska. It is frequently essen- 

 tial to correct bad habits of growth in young trees, and 

 this occurs as often in one climate as in another. Then, 

 too, a tree which has come to maturity may attempt to 

 do more than it can perform, so that it becomes neces- 

 sary to thin the fruit. This, in part, can be done by 

 pruning. In the case of small fruits and grapes it is 

 wholly so done, though with trees additional measures are 

 often needed. Still another reason would make itself evi- 

 dent to any one who would pick fruit for a short time in 



