352 



FRUIT-GROWING 



FRUIT-GROWING 



pruning ; it is not unlikely that some of the cur- 

 rent teaching is erroneous. 



Special risks. 



The great impediments and risks in the growing 

 of fruits are these : (1) hard winters ; (2) frosts ; 

 (3) insects ; (4) plant diseases. To these must be 

 added the climatic risks that are common to all 

 agriculture, as too much or too little rainfall, 



Fig. 502. Clean culture in a peach orcbaid. The Michigan type of tree. 



hail-storms, destructive winds. Every experienced 

 fruit-grower is aware of the mental attitude that 

 he must take toward these four impediments, but 

 for the novice these attitudes may be briefly stated. 

 (1) Hard winters are beyond control ; the fruit- 

 grower calculates on this risk when he chooses the 

 region in which he shall set his plantation ; he 

 chooses hardy varieties ; he then endeavors to 

 have his ground well drained, if he is in a cold 

 climate, so that there is no standing water, to en- 

 able the tree roots to strike deep, and to produce 

 such a condition and depth of soil as will hold 

 much moisture and thereby prevent dry-freezing ; 

 he plans his tillage in such a way that the trees go 

 into the winter with well-matured wood ; in cer- 

 tain orange-growing regions, slat sheds are built 

 over the trees. (2) Light frosts may sometimes be 

 prevented on small areas [see Vol. I, pp. 540, 589], 

 but in general they are beyond control, and the 

 grower calculates on the probability of them when 

 he chooses the particular site or exposure of his 

 plantation. (3, 4) For most insects and diseases 

 there are now preventives, remedies, or even speci- 

 fics; the grower keeps himself informed and armed ; 

 it is a question largely of business organization, that 



takes in a situation and then brings to bear the 

 means to meet it ; reading a half-dozen books and 

 all the special bulletins he can get is not too great 

 a personal sacrifice to make in order to be pre- 

 pared to meet the enemy. [See the articles on 

 insects and diseases, pages 35-53.] 



Varieties. 



The question of varieties is one of the most 



important in the 

 whole round of 

 fruit-growing, and 

 also one of the 

 most diificult of 

 solution. A mistake 

 in the varieties 

 may prevent any 

 profit or satisfac- 

 tion in the planta- 

 tion. Two elements 

 in the problem are 

 the choice of varie- 

 ties, and the means 

 of securing them 

 true to name. The 

 choice of varieties 

 is largely a personal 

 and local question, 

 to be determined 

 after careful study 

 of the farm and 

 the market. The 

 producing of trees 

 true to name is the 

 nurseryman's re- 

 sponsibility. This 

 responsibility is 

 grave, and it should 

 be rigidly enforced 

 by public sentiment. 



A new attitude toward varieties is now develop- 

 ing : there are varieties within varieties. That is, 

 minor strains and adaptations of varieties may be 

 of the greatest value, particularly when the grower 

 expects to reach a good market under his own name. 

 Thus, a single bush of raspberry or blackberry of a 

 given variety may exhibit features that make it 

 superior to all others in the field ; such plant should 

 be propagated for the owner's planting. It is illog- 

 ical to expect the best results from promiscuous 

 cions or buds of any variety of apple or pear or 

 orange. As there are trees of individual excellence, 

 so it may be expected that cions from those trees 

 will tend to perpetuate those excellencies. There 

 has therefore arisen a desire among fruit-growers 

 who plan to produce a superior product to top-graft 

 their young trees with cions from known parents. 

 It is of little consequence that this method does not 

 produce what may be called new varieties : it prob- 

 ably aids in producing plants of given efficiency. 

 Every good fruit-grower, as well as every good 

 grain-farmer or cotton-planter, now becomes con- 

 sciously a plant-breeder, as the good stockman has 

 always been an animal-breeder. [See the article on 

 Plant-breeding, page 57.] 



