84 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



may appear from time to time in the center of the crown. The plum, 

 as well as the cherry, has the annoying habit of occasionally produc- 

 ing strong shoots from adventitious buds along the trunk of the tree 

 or from near the surface of the ground. A close watch should be 

 kept for such interlopers in order that they may; be promptly 

 removed. 



Framework. During the early years of the growth of both of 

 these plants care should be exercised to secure a proper distribution 

 of the limbs which are to form the framework branches of the tree, 

 particularly with the Japan plums and the sweet cherries, as both 

 these species have the unfortunate habit of dividing into two shoots 

 of nearly equal size with a close angle between, which always forms 

 a weak joint. Trees not carefully pruned to overcome this bad habit 

 are liable to severe injury from splitting when heavily loaded with 

 fruit. 



Cutting Back. In the early period of the growth of both the 

 Japan and American plums, as well as the sweet cherry, the annual 

 growth will need more or less severe cutting back, depending upon 

 soil and climatic conditions, in order to maintain them within 

 bounds. On general principles this heading should be done just 

 before growth starts in the spring. 



Form of Tree. The European plums (Prunus domestica) do 

 well when trained after the general fashion of the peach. In general 

 however, the main trunk of the plum should be somewhat longer 

 than that of the peach, in order that the work of jarring for the cur- 

 culio may be facilitated if the orchard happens to be located where 

 this operation is necessary. 



Fruiting Habits. The fruiting habits of the plum and the 

 cherry are more closely allied to those of the apple and the pear than 

 to the peach, and for that reason the shortening of the annual growth 

 is of less moment with these plants than with the peach. 



Pruning the Grape. In no fruit crop does pruning play so im- 

 portant a part, both as regards the quantity of fruit borne and the 

 cost of producing it, as with the grape. In fact the manner of prun- 

 ing employed determines to a very large extent the cost of maintain- 

 ing a vineyard. Certain styles of pruning require a large expenditure 

 of money in the construction of supports or trellises and an equal 

 outlay each season for tying, both early in the season and during 

 the summer. Other systems require less expensive trellises, and little 

 or no expenditure of time or money in spring and summer tying, 

 thus making a very considerable difference in the cost of producing a 

 good quantity of fruit and, since grapes have, during the last decade, 

 become so cheap, the margin of profit left to the grower over and 

 above the cost of production is very small, even when the most 

 economical systems of training are employed. 



Systems Used. In this connection two of the important systems 

 used by eastern grape growers will be described, namely, the Kniffen 

 system, and the high-renewal system. The first named requires no 

 greater outlay for trellises than does the second, but permits of grow- 



