48 



by summer pruning. The work to be most effective should 

 be done a little each year and at just about the time the tree 

 completes its annual growth, which in this section is about 

 tile first week in July. If done too early it will defeat its 

 aim and produce a strong growth of shoots. If done too 

 late it forces out a soft growth which is likely to be winter- 

 killed. The 6bject of the work at first should be to direct 

 the growth and later to induce fruitfulness. Only strong 

 growing trefeS should be pruned during the growing season, 

 remembering that it is a devitalizing operation and may 

 easily be overdone. 



With regard to bearing apple trees the necessity for 

 summer pruning is less pronounced if not entirely elimina- 

 ted. Since our mature trees tend to overbear there is no ne- 

 cessity for inducing fruitfulness and winter pruning would 

 therefore be the most logical practice. The problem is an 

 intricate one, and since there is so much difference in the 

 character of soils and the behavior of varieties, it is going 

 to be difficult if not impossible to formulate any set of rules 

 that any fruit-grower may safely follow. The physiologist 

 in time may be able to reveal the underlying principles in 

 connection with the work of pruning but the problem al- 

 ways will be .a local one and the details relating to the prac- 

 tical application of the principles must be worked out by 

 each fruit-grower. 



(Applause.) 



PRESIDENT FROST. The best part of any address is 

 the discussion following it. Now, in our discussions each- 

 day I am compelled to ask everyone who asks a question to 

 j^'ive his name and address. The Chair is going to ask this:,, 

 whether he recognizes the person speaking or not, so every- 

 oiie is requested to give his name as clearly as possible so 

 that our stenographer can get it. Remember that these dis- 

 cussions are all printed in the report, and oftentimes leading 

 ([uestions may bring out the best information. We will have 

 something like half an hour in which to ask Professor Jarvis 

 these questions for him to answer, I will aAvait now any 



