CHAPTER XXI 

 GROWING AND FRUITING HABITS 



Left to themselves the plants of each species, or even of each variety 

 show more or less distinctive growing and fruiting characteristics. The 

 former are partly under the control of the grower, so that it is possible 

 for him to make plants of quite different growing habits assume a nearly 

 uniform shape in the orchard or to train two of the same kind so that they 

 appear very unlike. His control over bearing habits is less complete 

 though much can be done to modify them in certain directions. Both are 

 influenced directly or indirectly by nearly every cultural practice. Prun- 

 ing, however, using that term in its broader sense, is the most direct and 

 most important of these practices. 



Some growers prune their trees; some do not. Others prune some of 

 their fruit trees, but leave other kinds unpruned. The trees or plants of 

 certain species are quite generally given some kind of pruning treatment ; 

 those of certain other species are almost as generally let alone. In some 

 orchards pruning is a regular annual operation; in others it is done bienni- 

 ally or at long irregular intervals. There is no horticultural practice con- 

 cerning which there is a greater diversity of opinion or in the application 

 of which there is a greater diversity of procedure. If the average grower 

 is asked why he prunes or why he does not his answer is likely to be that he 

 believes it is good for the tree or that it is not good for it. Seldom does he 

 give specific objects that he has in mind or that he beheves may be accom- 

 plished by means of pruning. If specific objects are mentioned they are 

 likely to be among the following: (1) to open the tree so that the fruit 

 will color more satisfactorily, (2) to train it to some desired form, (3) to 

 remove dead or diseased limbs, (4) to remove water sprouts, (5) to thin 

 the fruit. 



All of these are accomplished by pruning if the work is done properly; 

 nevertheless they are not its primary objects. Fundamentally, pruning, 

 in common with other cultural practices, should be directed to encourage 

 the production of larger quantities of fruit, the production of fruit of 

 better grade, or to lower the cost of production ; its value, like that of 

 any other orchard operation, may be determined by the extent to which 

 it contributes in any one or more of these three directions. 



Pruning may be considered from many points of view and subdivided 

 in many ways. In the following discussion it is considered briefly as a 



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