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Dwarf trees bear fruit of higher quality than standard trees and are easier 

 to spray and pick from. The half bushel splint basket is the common 

 picking receptacle for apples 



When it comes to harvesting time one is apt to regret having headed trees 

 very high. The fruit cannot be reached even on tip-toe. These trees might 

 be headed three feet lower 



The Status of the Dwarf Fruit Tree From Two Standpoints 



A PRESENTATION OF THE FACTS IN THE CASE, SHOWING JUST WHAT 

 MAY REASONABLY BE EXPECTED FROM DWARFS AND STANDARDS 



A Comparison of Limitations 



By S. W. Fletcher, Virginia 



AT PRESENT American fruit-growing, 

 both commercial and amateur, is domi- 

 nated by the standard fruit tree. It is probable 

 that this will continue to be so except in sub- 

 urban gardens. The statement is often made 

 that we are rapidly approaching European 

 ideals in our fruit growing; that eventually 

 dwarf fruits will be as common in America 

 as in Europe. As our population, especially 

 our suburban population, increases, we 

 are undoubtedly appropriating more of the 

 cultural methods of the Old World horti- 

 culture But it is questionable whether this 

 country will ever adopt European methods 

 of training fruit trees very extensively, 

 especially in commercial operations. This 

 personal opinion — many other people think 

 differently — is based upon the following 

 conditions: 



THE MATTER OF SPACE 



We are not so cramped for space. Land 

 is cheaper. It is difficult to look far enough 

 ahead to discover the necessity for planting 

 dwarf trees commercially, owing to lack of 

 space, or the high value of land. Trans- 

 portation facilities are improving so rapidly 

 that it is becoming less and less an advantage 

 to locate a commercial orchard on land close 

 to the city, and having a high valuation. 

 But in the case of amateur fruit-growing, 

 we must recognize the rapidly increasing 

 number of suburban gardens. The great 

 movement of our population is now not to 



the city, but to the suburbs. This shift is 

 coincident with the improvements in rapid 

 transit. Next to the farmer the suburban- 

 ite, or commuter, is becoming the typical 

 American citizen. 



The suburban garden will have dwarf 

 trees. When there is but fifty feet square 

 to plant it will be more profitable to set out 

 twenty-five dwarf trees of several fruits 

 than one standard apple tree — profitable 

 in enjoyment, because of the greater diver- 

 sity. If, however, the fruit garden exists 

 primarily for money profit — the number of 

 baskets filled, and jars of preserves stored in 

 the cellar — then standard trees will be grown, 

 even in the small gardens; and a majority 

 of American fruit gardens exist for just such 

 a purpose. The stronghold of dwarf fruit 

 trees in America is, and will be, the suburban 

 garden. 



THE MATTER OF EXPENSE 



Dwarf and trained trees cost more, from 

 five to fifty times as much as standards. 

 Their high first cost will deter many from 

 planting them. Five dollars worth of stan- 

 dard trees will plant an acre; dwarf trees for 

 that area would cost from fifty to two hundred 

 dollars. It also costs more to properly care 

 for dwarf trees than standards. They need 

 heavier fertilizing, more careful pruning, 

 intensive cultivation in all respects. The 

 cost of spraying, however, may be less. 

 If the owner cares for the trees himself, a 

 a labor of love and a recreation, all this may 

 be justified. If, however, he has to hire a 

 gardener for this purpose, his expense will 

 61 



be heavy, commensurate with the returns: 

 Labor is cheaper in Europe; and a skilled 

 gardener can scarcely be secured here at 

 any price. 



Few commercial dwarf orchards have 

 paid as well as standards, even of Anjou or 

 Angouleme pears, which do especially well 

 on dwarf stocks. The future may, however, 

 develop a market that will pay enough 

 for fruit from dwarf and trained trees to war- 

 rant the trouble. If peaches sell for one 

 dollar each, as they sometimes do in Europe, 

 they ought to reimburse a pretty heavy cost 

 of production. We have the beginnings of 

 such a market in America already. But 

 it will always be a very special and very 

 limited market. More people will fail 

 trying to cater to it than will succeed. 

 Commercially, the culture of dwarf and 

 trained fruits for fancy prices is bound to be 

 a precarious business; and only those whom 

 the gods have blessed with rare skill should 

 attempt it. 



THE MATTER OF CLIMATE 



Our climate does not make it necessary 

 to grow dwarf and trained fruit trees as is the 

 case in many parts of Europe. Most sections 

 of the United States are sunnier and warmer 

 than those parts of Europe where dwarf and 

 trained trees are grown most extensively. 

 This form of training is almost a necessity 

 there, owing to continuous cloudy, cool, and 

 moist weather. We can ripen fruit satis- 

 factorily in nearly all sections of this country 

 without the aid of glass, walls, or other 

 methods of collecting heat. 



