230 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



and usually adapted to a single horse. If the rows are 

 far enough apart, however as they usually are in black- 

 berries and black raspberries it may be necessary in 

 hard lands to hitch two horses to such a tool as the 

 spring-tooth cultivator. 



It is commonly a matter of a few years thoroughly to 

 learn one's soil and climate, after moving to a new farm. 

 The farmer has a local and personal problem to apprehend 

 and to solve. He should not be discouraged, therefore, 

 if he does not secure the desired results from the treat- 

 ment of his land within the first two or three years. He 

 must look after the work himself. Even though he have 

 a perfect understanding of the subject and the intention 

 to do the best by his plantation, he will very likely fail 

 of satisfactory results if he leaves the management of the 

 work to others. 



Aside from the general practice of tillage, there are 

 many special and incidental practices, some of which may 

 be discussed briefly, after we have considered such essen- 

 tials as pruning, thinning and frost-protection. 



PRUNING 



The subject of pruning cannot be understood until 

 the essential principles of the practice are clearly appre- 

 hended. It is often said that pruning is unnecessary; 

 this is true if one desires to grow brush. If he desires to 

 grow fruit, and particularly good fruit, he must bring 

 about the proper conditions for it; and one of these neces- 

 sary conditions is a plant properly thinned and under 

 control. 



The only proper pruning is one that is applied in 

 something like the same proportion every year, and that 



