SOBER SUMMER 141 



that the shock of heavy cutting is likely to cause 

 the tree to set fruit buds the sooner. At first it is 

 hard to realize that next year's blossoms and 

 potential fruits are being made this summer. 



As thus noted, my dwarf fruit trees have 

 grown more than generously, so that I know there 

 is plenty of plant-food in this seemingly sterile 

 shade. Bearing has not as yet been full or normal 

 on the apples and pears, because the trees are too 

 busy forming themselves into symmetrical shape. 

 This year I have pruned toward a more open cen- 

 ter, to let the light into the heart of the tree's 

 bushy top. 



One season the peaches on a Carman tree came 

 along as watery clingstones, rather than as the 

 richly flavored freestones the same tree had pro- 

 duced before. A wet season had much to do with 

 the change, and it is possible that my neglect of 

 summer spraying at various periods had some- 

 thing to do with this trouble, and with the rot 

 that destroyed many of the fruits. 



One of the pear trees flattened out against 

 the espalier has had on it for two succeeding 

 years some beautiful fruits. To show what has 

 happened in four years, or more accurately just 

 fifty months, I have made a photograph of the 

 espalier in May of the year of its planting, and for 



