26 FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



ART. 5. On Heat. 



It is very evident that trees require a certain 

 heat to grow and mature their fruit and wood in a 

 proper state. In cold moist summers, especially 

 the latter part, or the fall, fruit trees many times do 

 not form and mature their buds and wood in a 

 proper state. This often happens in Raspberries, 

 the canes or wood of which are kept growing in 

 cold moist seasons, so that they do not ripen, 

 and the consequence is that they do not fruit 

 well the following season. The best method to 

 counteract or remedy this is to cut out most of the 

 wood, leaving those canes only that are to fruit next 

 year ; by this means the wood is more exposed to 

 the sun and air, which acts on and ripens it bet- 

 ter than when shaded by all the old wood and that 

 made the present year. In cold seasons the ripen- 

 ing of fruit may be much assisted by thinning out 

 part of the superfluous wood and part of the leaves, 

 so that it is exposed to sun and air ; in this opera- 

 tion moderation is required, for in many cases when 

 over done, as in thinning off too many leaves from 

 grapes and other fruit, it is scalded by the sudden 

 influence of the sun's powerful rays which have be- 

 fore been excluded. 



Sun heat should in every case be considered as 

 the maturer of wood and the fruit of trees. There- 

 fore the different parts of the tree should always be 

 moderately exposed to it, but care must always be 

 taken in pruning, and thinning that the change is not 

 too sudden, which is always injurious. 



As regards the ripening of different kinds of fruit. 



