ODD-YEAR BEARERS. 25 



edges uneven and bruised. If delayed till spring, the sap is 

 liable to run out, shown by a black stripe down the tree, and 

 the wounds do not heal in a healthy manner. To settle the 

 question as to the best time for pruning, we have in progress 

 an experiment. From a thrifty young orchard we cut off a 

 few limbs, of one or 1 wo inches in diameter, each month, 

 marking the month. It is too early as yet to report any 

 results. 



For several years there have been alternate seasons of 

 plent}' and scarcity of apples. Some few farms have been 

 exceptions to the rule, and have produced fair crops each 

 year, the money returns being much better in the so- 

 called barren years. We are the fortunate possessor of such 

 orchards ; but if urged to give a reason for this result, we can 

 only say, "Not prepared." All we know about it is, we have 

 young, vigorous trees, planted in different exposures, and 

 receiving their fertilization at different periods of the year, 

 and in different years, and a large number of varieties. Some 

 of these rarely bear, except in the even or abundant years. The 

 others bear as well, or better, in what are called the barren 

 years, which are now the odd years. We have taken no 

 special pains with ihis object in view. We believe that by 

 picking off the blossoms regularly from a young orchard in 

 the even years, and allowing it to bear only in the odd years, 

 .we may do something to encourage this habit in our trees, 

 and we shall do it in one recently planted. 



Local hail-storms seem to have been the means of changing 1 

 the habit of bearing, in some orchards, from the even to the 

 odd years. Whether it was merely the destruction of the 

 young fruit, or, in addition, the checking of the circulation 

 by the bruising of the bark and the stripping off the leaves, 

 we cannot tell. This much we know, that the free growth 

 of wood is not conducive to fruitfulness. Any cause that 

 checks this, whether it be borers at the root, ice-storms bend- 

 ing the boughs but not breaking them, a crooked or bruised 

 trunk, encourages the formation of fruit-buds, and, the other 

 conditions being favorable, we have the fruit. The frequent 

 occurrence of illustrations of this result renders any special 

 proofs unnecessary. They are familiar in the experience of 

 every fruit-culturist. 



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