164 THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



this variation is a matter of individuality. No 

 two trees are alike in this respect any more than 

 they are in form of top or length of life. 

 Some of the variation, however, is due to soil or 

 other environment. It is natural, however, for 

 plants to bear, and when they once come into 

 bearing they should be maintained in that habit 

 by continuous good care. With such plants, any 

 treatment which greatly disturbs their equilibrium 

 tends to break or upset the bearing habit. If, 

 however, through neglect or poor management, 

 plants have never acquired a bearing habit, the 

 grower may experiment, hoping to find something 

 which will bring them into fruit. One type of 

 experiment is to change the management of the 

 land ; another is to modify the plant -food ; an- 

 other is to change the method of pruning; another 

 is to give treatment for insects and diseases. 



The principle under discussion is the most im- 

 portant one enunciated in this book, from the 

 fact that it advises the fruit-grower to depend 

 more on good, thoughtful and consecutive man- 

 agement of his plants year by year than upon any 

 disconnected, spasmodic or unusual treatments 

 now and then. A good plan moderately worked 

 out is better than a hundred experiments. 



Let us apply these reflections to the treatment 

 of a neglected and unfruitful apple orchard. 

 The general advice is to till, fertilize, prune and 

 spray ; and this advice is good. The pruning, 



