92 FRUIT-GROWING 



very great importance to the grower who ex- 

 pects to make any money out of his plantation. 

 Remember, too, that we are shaping it not alone 

 by taking away branches but also by pruning in 

 such a way that branches may be formed as we 

 need them. In the second place we are stimu- 

 lating the growth of the tree. By removing all 

 the surplus wood that we can in the winter, we 

 use the food reserve to form as much addi- 

 tional wood as possible and in this way secure 

 as large a tree as possible at bearing age. The 

 bearing age of a tree is, of course, a variable 

 quantity, depending upon the variety and also 

 on the environment — and comparatively little 

 on the pruning treatment given. In other 

 words, when a tree reaches the age where na- 

 ture desires that it produce fruit, it will do so. 

 The amount of fruit produced, however, may be 

 greatly influenced by the methods of pruning. 

 As I have said, pruning severely tends to pro- 

 mote wood growth and as long as a tree is mak- 

 ing abundant growth it is less inclined to ex- 

 pend any energy in the formation of fruit buds. 

 Some fruit may be borne, but only as an indi- 

 cation of maturity on the part of the tree in 

 question. Just as soon as the effort of the tree 

 toward the making of wood is checked, the tree 

 begins to prepare to reproduce itself. This 

 preparation goes forward with greater energy 

 in proportion to the check on the growth of 



