412 



FUNDAMENTALS OF FRUIT PRODUCTION 



Table 6. — Effect of Light and Heavy Pruning on New Shoot Growth in 



Young Apples op Different Varieties 



(After Gardner^'^) 



Number of 

 trees aver- 

 aged 



Severity of 

 annual prun- 

 ing, per 

 cent. 



Average 1914 



shoot growth, 



centimeters 



Average 1915 



shoot growth, 



centimeters 



Average 1916 



shoot growth, 



centimeters 



Average 



number fruit 



spurs in fall 



of 1916 



Grime.s. 

 Grimes. 

 Grimes. 

 Grimes. 

 Gano. . 

 Gano. . 

 Rome. . 

 Rome . . 

 Rome. . 

 Esopus. 

 Esopus. 



none 

 0-25 

 26-50 

 51-75 

 26-50 

 51-75 

 none 

 26-50 

 51-75 

 none 

 46-76 



492 

 675 

 714 

 378 

 456 

 561 

 629 

 508 

 845 

 583 

 453 



1762 

 2251 

 2401 

 1339 

 2493 

 2464 

 2051 

 1973 

 2541 

 2121 

 1736 



3852 

 4713 

 4913 

 2818 

 5435 

 5459 

 3520 

 3634 

 4630 

 2287 

 3077 



402 

 457 

 341 

 116 

 158 

 111 

 142 

 34 

 31 

 505 

 134 



In recapitulation it may be said that different species and varieties 

 show great variations in their response by new shoot production to prun- 

 ings of like severity. These differences are due primarily to growing 

 and fruiting habits and secondarily to age, vigor and nutritive conditions, 

 as well as to environmental conditions with which they may happen to be 

 associated at the time. 



Leaf Surface and Root System. — Any practice that would effect a 

 reduction in the amount of new shoot growth and perhaps of spurs as 

 well, would be expected to result in a corresponding decrease in leaf 

 area and in root development. Chandler's^ ^ investigations of the rela- 

 tion of certain pruning practices to subsequent root development show 

 this reduction. Some of his data are summarized in Tables 7 and 8. 



Table 7. — Influence of Varying Amounts of Pruning on Subsequent Leaf 



AND Root Development 



{After Chandler'') 



In commenting on the data presented in Table 8, Chandler" says: 



"It will be seen that in all cases the leaf surface has been rather markedly 

 reduced. On the other hand except in case of the summer-pruned trees, when 



