THE BEAR-QUICK APPLE 307 



But the Bear-quick is a different type of tree. It is 

 either a cordon or a bush. As a cordon it will certainly 

 not be retarded by the immature side branches bearing 

 fruit prematurely, for the simple but sufficient reason 

 that there are no side branches on it. The wood on the 

 cordon tree which reaches the grower from the nursery- 

 man is mature, except for the foot or so of young wood 

 which represents the summer extension, or such part 

 thereof as the nurseryman has left unshortened. Being 

 mature wood it is likely to have fruit buds as a result 

 of previous pruning, not buds formed hurriedly as the 

 result of a check to the roots. 



The old-time fruit-grower does not know very much 

 about cordon trees. His experience in fruit-growing has 

 been gained with a different class. It is valuable as far 

 as it goes, but it does not go far enough to affect the 

 cordon question. There is no reason whatever why a 

 cordon fruit tree should not bear fruit the second year 

 after planting ; for the matter of that, there is no reason 

 why it should not bear the first year. The deciding 

 factor here is the quality of the tree. If a cordon tree 

 has been handled well by the nurseryman who grew it 

 and it will have been if he is a specialist in this type 

 it may certainly be allowed to bear a few fruits on the 

 main stem the first year after planting. Six or seven 

 fruits would do no harm, and would be useful to the 

 grower. But although this tree would not be thrown 

 back, dragged out of shape and stunted by early bearing, 

 like a young standard fruited on immature wood, it 

 would not bear a good crop of fruit the following year 

 unless it was properly pruned. 



Whatever differences of opinion there may be among 

 fruit-growing experts as to the time and method of prun- 

 ing standard fruit trees and there certainly are dis- 



