37 



In one expei-iment that was made on all the plants constituting a 

 crop, in which case a single leader and several of the laterals were 

 allowed to grow without priming, the following points were noticed : — 



The average yield of fruit on the main shoot was 18 per cent higher 

 than upon the laterals. The lowest laterals, or those nearest the base 

 of the plant, came next in ihe production of fruit, and the others or 

 higher laterals followed in uniform succession in fruit production. The 

 maturing of the fruit was more marked upon the main shoot than 

 upon the laterals. Of the various laterals, the lowest ones most nearly 

 approached those of the main shoot in maturing its fruit. 'Ihe main 

 shoot showed a gain of 36 per cent in matui'ing of the fruit over that of 

 the first lateral. Of the fruit formed on the laterals, 61 per cent occurred 

 in the first axils. The number of internodes between successive forma- 

 tion of fruit on the plant was in the lai'gest number of cases seven. 



In another experiment in the same house the plants wei'e allowed to 

 develop a single leader, and as many laterals as would appear. The 

 latter, however, in this experiment Avere pruned at the second leaf, or, 

 in case fruit did not set in the axil of the first lateral, they were pruned 

 just beyond the axil where it did set, but it was usually at the second 

 axil. It was found in this experiment that there were 'SO per cent more 

 flowers of both sexes on the laterals than on the main shoot, and that 

 there were 53 per cent more staminate than pistillate flowers on the 

 whole plant. It was further found that there were 93 per cent more 

 pistillate flowers on the laterals than on the stem or main shoot ; and, of 

 the total number of pistillate flowers which made their appearance on 

 the laterals, 87 per cent were found in the axils of the first leaf, whereas 

 onl}' 13 per cent were found in other axils. Thei'e were practically no 

 differences in the maturity of the fruit found on the main shoot and lat- 

 erals in this experiment. In these two experiments we have a chance to 

 compare the differences existing between plants where the laterals were 

 pruned and those that were not pruned, the latter or unpruned ones 

 forming all the laterals they desii'ed. In the first experiment, where the 

 laterals wore not pruned, the yield of the fruit was 18 per cent higher on 

 the leader or main shoot than on the laterals ; whereas in the latter ex- 

 periment, where the laterals were pruned, this was reversed, and in this 

 case there was 93 per cent more fruit formed on the laterals than on the 

 leader. In the first experiment, the fruit on the leader matured earlier 

 than on the laterals; in the latter experiment, where pruning was prac- 

 tised, there was practically no difference. Cutting tlie leader of the 

 main shoot or pruning the laterals caused an increase in the numl)er of 

 laterals. Where laterals are not cut, they are not formed as a rule in the 

 axil of every leaf. Pruning appears to cause a larger amount of fruit to 

 set in the first axils of the laterals, as it was found that in the experiment 

 where pruning occurred 87 per cent of the axils contained fruit, against 

 65 per cent where no pruning took place. In some instances where the 

 leader was nipped on unjjruned plants, this succeeded in causing a 

 slight increase in the amount of fruit in the first axils of the laterals. 



In conclusion it may be stated that the advantages of pruning are 

 that the fruit is concentrated on the plant to a greater extent than it 



