IDEAL PLUM OR PRUNE 101 



Many orchardists fail to realize how com- 

 pletely the roots are governed by the amount of 

 foliage. And even when this is realized the ob- 

 served conditions are not always correctly inter- 

 preted. If the foliage did not govern the roots, 

 our orchard trees would be of all sizes and of all 

 degrees of vigor, whereas now, when grafted on 

 seedlings of varying degrees of vigor, the trees 

 are uniform. 



As to the stem of the tree, this should come 

 up straight as a flagstaff, and should branch 

 sturdily, the branches coming out not quite at 

 right angles but turning slightly upward. 

 Branches should not turn down, nor should they 

 be crooked. Moreover, the branches should not 

 tend to grow too long and slender. 



Many seedlings tend to take on a bushy 

 growth, which is undesirable. Others are too 

 slender. Some have a general irregularity of 

 growth, which is particularly objectionable. 

 Brushiness invariably indicates a lack of pro- 

 duction; it suggests a reversion to some inferior 

 ancestral type. And it may fairly be pre- 

 dicted that the tree will show similar reversion 

 as to fruit, producing a small fruit of poor 

 quality. 



Brushiness is indicated by slender, too abun- 

 dant, poor branches instead of sturdy branches. 



