46 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Jan. 



f 



ilinrtiiiiltunil I3r|iiirtiiient, 



ESITBD BT P. BARRT. 



I 



• FACTS TO BE HDMEMBBHED IN PRUNING. 



There are important differences in the modes of 

 growth and bearing of the various cultivated fruit 

 trees, subjected to pruning and training, that every 

 cultivator should study carefully. Every species is 

 governed by laws no less regular and observable in 

 this respect, than in their periods of blossoming and 

 maturation : and these laws should be taken into strict 

 account in pruning and every other process intended 

 to modify the growth and productiveness of bearing 

 trees. Most cultivators are too apt to overlook these 

 important points, and hence the principles of pruning 

 are badly understood. Immediate effects alone are 

 too frequently looked to. If the head of a tree be too 

 dense, or certain branches too long, a certain number, 

 or a certain length, is cut away without considering 

 the results that must follow ; audit is this unskilful 

 and undiscriminating pruning, as well as a total 

 neglect of it, that produces such vast numbers of 

 unsightly and unprofitable trees as now cumber the 

 ground of a large portion of our orchards and gar- 

 dens. At present we can give but a few hints on 

 the subject, by way of calling attention to these 

 points 



The Apple, Fear, and C^uinee are all similar in 

 their mode of bearing. The fruit buds are usually 

 produced on spurs or short stout shoots along the 

 sides of branches of two or more years' growth, and 

 these shoots or spurs continue to renew their fruit 

 buds and bear for several years in succession, if they 

 enjoy the advantages of light and air, and are not 

 deprived of a sufficient supply of nutriment by rapid 

 growing portions of the tree above them. Occasion- 

 ally we see fruit buds formed on the ends of shoots 

 of one seaon's growth, but this is rare, except in par- 

 ticular varieties. The Quince is usually borne on 

 the ends of the spurs. 



The Peach, Apricot, and JVectarine bear their fruit 

 almost exclusively on shootP,of the previous year; the 

 fruit bads forming during the first season's growth. 



The necessity of keeping up a constant annua! 

 supply of young wood on all parts of the tree, is 

 therefore obvious. The same shoots bear only once 

 — occasionally fruit spurs are produced from other 

 branches, but these are comparatively feeble; not to 

 be relied on. 



The Plum and Cherry are quite similar in their 

 modes of bearing. The shoots of last year, 1849, 

 will, during 1850, bicome furnished with fruit buds 



that will produce fruit in 1851. A few buds towards 

 the extremities of the shoots are usually developed 

 into new shoots, while all the buds below are trans- 

 formed into fruit buds. It sometimes happens when 

 Cherry trees are not growing vigorously, that the 

 buds at the base of the shoots become fruit buds llic 

 first year, and bear the next. 



The Morello Cherry and a few others of its class, 

 are exceptions to this rule, and they bear like the 

 ;ioacli on wood of the previous year, the frnit bads 

 ')eing formed on the lower parts of the shoots of the 

 current year. 



Gooseberries and Currants produce their fruit like 

 tlie Cherry and Plum. The fruit buds forming on 

 slioots the second year, and bearing fruit the third 

 and afterwards. 



The Grape Vine and Raspberry are similar in 

 mode of bearing, and differ from all the others. The 

 fruit is produced on shoots of the current year's 

 growth, starting from wood of the previous year. 

 Young shoots from other parts of the vine do not 

 produce fruit, but will the year following produce 

 fruit bearing wood. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



■' M.," Geneva. It would give us great pleasure to 

 give your letter a place in our columns as affjrding a 

 very happy illustration of the way in which a love 

 of gardening is growing up amongst us, and its 

 practice and principles attracting attention and study; 

 but the limited space we are allowed does not admit, 

 as you will see, of anything but short and purely 

 practical articles. We have to deny ourselves many 

 a pleasure for this reason. We shall a-t all times 

 feel obliged for an account of your success and mode 

 of operation. 



J. Fraser, Mecklenburg, N. Y. Your communi- 

 cation, which appears in this number, was mislaid, 

 owing to some changes in the office, this is the reason 

 it has not been acknowledged. 



Profits i.n Pears. — In the fall of 1848, Mr. John 

 Washburn, of Plymouth, bought two dwarf pear 

 tree.=, (on quince stocks,) at $i.:J5 each. He set 

 them that fall, and in less than a year from planting 

 the trees, he took a dozen pears from them, and 

 exhibited them at the annual show of the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society, for which he received a 

 premium of If 6, and he sold the pears for #3 — making 

 a dividend of $9 on the small investment of only 

 #2.50. The pleasure and reputation of successful 

 cultivation will pay ten times the trouble. The 

 variety was the Louise Bon de Jersey. — .Vctc Eiif^- 

 land Farmer, 



Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. — This distinguished 

 Horticulturist and Pomologist has recently been 

 elected President of the Massachusetts Senate, and 

 we are sui'e he will do honor to that honorable office. 

 We wish Uial more of our Senators and Representa- 

 tives in the State and National Legislatures were 

 such as he, if they were, we would soon see our 

 (iovernment do something worthy of it, for Agricul- 

 ture and Horticulture, State and National Gardens 

 would be moro then talked of. 



Winter is the best time to look around your 

 orchard and garden to see how matters stand — do 

 wliat you can, and lay out your work for the spring. 



