70 SCIENCE AND FRUIT GROWING 



This was shown by the measurements made at successive dates 

 of the size of trees planted in 1904-5 ; these were 



1904 

 1908 

 1911 

 1914 



Whether the equalisation, in size will eventually become com- 

 plete, or not, still remains to be seen; but, it must be remem- 

 bered that, even if it does, this will not imply that the results 

 have been equally advantageous, for there will have been a heavy 

 deficit in crops from the harder pruned trees during all these 

 years. 



The antagonism between hard pruning and fruit-bearing 

 was well illustrated by applying such treatment to some fifteen- 

 year-old apple trees which had up to that time been only lightly 

 pruned ; the operation resulted in reducing the crops to less than 

 one-tenth of that borne by similar trees on which the light pruning 

 had been continued (VII, 27). 



The effect of cutting off a shoot or branch is to force into growth 

 those buds or dormant buds, on the thicker portions of the 

 branches below it (see p. 63), and in this way we may often obtain 

 good, vigorous growth from a tree which has become enfeebled, 

 and which is incapable of producing such growth from the 

 thinner wood at a distance from the stem. Thus a hide-bound 

 tree may often become rejuvenated. But the amount of pruning 

 necessary to effect this is usually much greater than what can 

 properly be termed pruning ; and wood of much more than one 

 year's standing is generally removed : it may be more suitably 

 called lopping. 



Experiments on such lopping were made, bo that Ridgmont and 

 at Harpenden, on plums and damsons which had become stunted 

 by being transplanted in previous years ; and at the same time 

 the effect of varying the date of the lopping was investigated. 

 It often happens that with a tree which has been stunted, there 

 is a temptation to give it another chance, and leave it one year 

 longer to see whether it will not recover of its own accord ; and, 

 if it is found not to be showing much promise of doing so when 

 spring comes, the question arises whether it is better to cut it 

 back at once, or to wait to do so till the folio wingjwinter. The 

 results obtained at Ridgmont those at Harpenden being in 

 every way similar may be summarised as follows, the values 



