Fruit-growing 



243 



144. Air drainage in fruit-culture. An important factor 

 in fruit production is air drainage. Cold air is heavier than 

 warm air and drains down hill and remains in low places, and 

 these areas are more 



subject to frost than 

 higher areas. Frost at 

 blossoming time will 

 injure the blossoms. 

 Often when orchards are 

 planted on hillsides, the 

 blossoms on trees near 

 the bottom of the hill 

 will be injured by frost, 

 while those higher up 

 the slope will escape 

 damage. Thus the se- 

 lection of a site where 

 late frosts seldom kill 

 the blossoms is of im- 

 portance. 



145. Pruning of fruit- 

 trees. A phase of 

 work that must be given 

 proper attention by an 

 orchardist is the prun- 

 ing of the trees. Prun- 

 ing means the removal 

 of certain branches. 

 This is done in order 

 to allow the remaining 



Ones sufficient room and FlG . 99. _ p each tre e in need of pruning. 



light for proper develop- 

 ment. Figs. 99 and 100 show a peach tree before and after 

 pruning. Most trees produce too many branches. In trees 

 that grow naturally, the surplus branches are crowded out by 



