82 



POMOLOGY 



that heavy pruning may not be conducive to greater fruit 

 production on an older tree, as is pointed out in paragraph 79. 



This idea is not new but has frequently been mentioned by 

 early writers. In 1768, Hitt wrote as follows: "If there are 

 two apple, pear, plum or cherry trees, equal in health and 

 strength, at one year old after grafting, let them remain 

 some years after in the same stations . . . and one of them 

 be pruned, and the other not, but suffered to grow in a shape 

 quite rude and natural, the latter will produce fruit much 

 earlier than the other, though, perhaps, its branches will not 

 be in so regular a position as those of the former; hence it may 

 be reasonably inferred that premature pruning a healthy, 

 strong standard, in what manner soever, before blossoming, 

 will keep it longer back from a bearing state than it would be 

 were it left unpruned." ^ 



This effect of pruning on early bearing is shown by work at 

 Woburn on dwarf apple trees. Records for twelve years were 

 reported in three periods, wherein the yield of moderately 

 pruned trees was given a value of 100 and the other treat- 

 ments compared with it, as follows : 



Table XI 



EFFECT OF PRUNING ON EARLY BEARING (wOBURN) 



Id 5 yrs. 



2d 5 yrs. 



12th year 



Heavy pruning . . . 

 Moderate pruning 

 Light pruning. . . . 

 No pruning 



75 

 100 



90 

 220 



50 

 100 

 150 

 200 



100 

 145 

 275 



Similar results were obtained by Alderman and Auchter 

 with young trees just coming into bearing, as shown by the 

 following data: 



' Hitt, Thomas. A Treatise of Fruit Trees. 3d Ed. London, 1768. 



