APPLES 



309 



THI>M>« 



Excessive Bearing 



There is the tendency on the part of 

 some trees to overbear, of others to not 

 bear enough. This tendency can, in a 

 large measure, be regulated by pruning, 

 thinning and fertilizing. Whatever tends 

 to excessive wood growth tends to de- 

 crease the fruit production, and whatever 

 tends to excessive fruit production tends 

 to small wood growth. 



Winter pruning tends to stimulate 

 wood growth and to reduce the number 

 of fruit spurs, therefore to reduce the 

 number of apples. Excessive soil fertiliza- 

 tion tends also to excessive wood growth, 

 and therefore to reduce the number of 

 apples. Summer pruning reduces wood 

 growth, multiplies fruit spurs and in- 

 creases the fruit crop. Root pruning will 

 have the same effect because it retards 

 wood growth. Lack of fertilization re- 

 tards wood growth and results the same 

 as root pruning and summer pruning of 

 the top. 



The remedy is fertilization which will 

 prolong the life of the tree. A tree that 

 bears excessively from year to year is not 

 long-lived. We are generally anxio\is that 

 our trees should bear heavily, but to 

 overbear shortens the life of the tree, 

 while lack of bearing quality reduces the 

 profit derived from it. 



Because of these facts the habit of thin- 

 ning the fruit to the desired amount has 

 become prevalent, and if the crop cannot 

 be regulated by fertilization and pruning, 

 thinning becomes a very important opera- 

 tion. In fact, a certain amount of thin- 

 ning is advantageous in any case, because 

 even when the general crop is not heavy 

 two or more apples will form on one 

 fruit spur and so crowd each other that 

 neither one becomes a perfect or market- 

 able apple. It is a good rule to permit but 

 one apple to develop on a single spur. 

 This avoids crowding and at the same 

 time prevents the breaking of the limbs 

 and the necessity for propping the trees. 

 Gr.\xville Lowther 



Orerbearinff in .Vrkansas 



Trees here, especially the Ben Davis, 

 our main variety, have a tendency to 



overbear. Limbs which had snapped 

 under the load the past season were often 

 numerous in orchards. The limbs are fre- 

 quently not removed until the following 

 spring, and in the case of smaller ones 

 often escape attention altogether. Not 

 infrequently examples were seen of fatal 

 fungus diseases attacking such limbs, 

 and passing from the broken to the main 

 limbs. Allowing such limbs to remain is 

 rather a defect of human nature than of 

 practice, as is also the condition which 

 first caused the breaking. Many hold to 

 the belief that a tree ought to be able 

 to carry to maturity all the fruit it sets; 

 and doubtless the basis of this belief is 

 that a dollar in the pocket is worth the 

 promise of two next year. But this is 

 short-sighted. An apple orchard should 

 continue to be a profitable investment for 

 25 years at least* Overbearing not only 

 so weakens the trees as to result in "off 

 years" and causes mutilation of the trees 

 and disease, but is particularly trying 

 here where close planting is so common, 

 where supplementary fertilizing of or- 

 chards is often neglected, and where trees 

 loaded with fruit have the root louse 

 regularly to contend with, and often 

 "smart" touches of drought thrown in at 

 the time they are heavy with fruit. 

 Aside from this there is a great loss in 

 the proportion of first grade apples. There 

 may be over-production of poor fruit, but 

 hardly of first grade apples where the 

 facilities for transportation to good mar- 

 kets are at hand, and those markets eas- 

 ily accessible. Aside from the demand, 

 first grade fruit tends to increase the 

 consumption and enlarges the market. 

 And lastly, preservation of the "hen that 

 lays the golden egg" is business, and 

 money in the pocket. The proper care 

 and preservation of orchards tends to 

 cheapen the production of first-class fruit, 

 by stopping a number of big leaks, helps 

 the market by enabling us to supply its 

 wants at a reduced figure, with an equal 

 profit to the producer. And such is in- 

 variably the testimony of the best fruit 



* We think an apple nrchard well located, 

 with a deep rich soil, well cultivated, sprayed 

 and pruned, should live and bear for 100 years. 

 —Ed. 



