THE HOME FRUIT GARDEN i 



Cultivation.— The cultivation of the home fruit garden is similar 

 to that of the vegetable garden; clean cultivation should begin late 



in April and continue as needed to September. A cultivator that 

 leaves the surface ridged or furrowed to prevent blowing is desirable. 

 Under most conditions the same methods of maintaining the fertility 

 of the soil that are followed in a vegetable garden are successful with 

 fruit. Where stable manure is available, its liberal use generally 

 gives excellent results. 



Irrigation.— Although irrigation is desirable, water is not often 

 available in most of this region. It is especially needed by the small 

 fruits. If available a good irrigation wetting to a depth of 4 or 5 feet 

 in May or June and another in July may be sufficient except in the 

 Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah area. In these States regular 

 irrigation should be practiced. 



Protection from Rabbits and Mice. — Protection from these 

 pests is essential to apple and crab apple trees during the fall, winter, 

 and spring. If possible, enclose the fruit garden with a rabbitproof 

 fence; otherwise wrap the trunk and lower branches of each tree with 

 heavy paper, burlap, fine wire, or other material. 



Pruning After the First Year. To many inexperienced growers 

 the question of how to prune trees and bushes appears to be very 

 complicated. If certain basic principles are kept in mind, however, 

 it is possible for even the inexperienced grower to do a satisfactory 

 job of pruning. The purpose of pruning is to develop the tree or bush 

 so that it will have maximum strength to carry a load of fruit and 

 maximum bearing capacity. A safe rule in pruning trees, particu- 

 larly young trees up to bearing age, is to prune them as little as will 

 accomplish this specific purpose. Cross branches and suckers should 

 be removed, and broken or dying limbs should be cut out. Young 

 trees of most fruits require little pruning before they come into bearing. 

 Pruning of fruit trees in general should be done during the dormant 

 season, preferably in the spring after danger of severe winter 

 freezing is past but before growth of trees has started. 



If the growth of grapevines is rather weak during the first season, 

 it is advisable to cut the vine back at the end of the first growing 

 season to one or two buds and to tram up a strong trunk during the 

 second growing season. If the vine is to be trained to a fence or a 

 two-wire system, it should be tied to a stake and carried upright until 

 it reaches the top wire. At that point it should be pinched off and 

 two laterals led out, one in either direction, along the wire. During 

 the second season, lateral canes will grow from all the buds along the 

 trunk. Two of these at the height of the first wire above the ground 

 should be selected and tied to that wire to develop fruiting wood. 

 The other branches along the trunk should be rubbed off or pinched 

 back dining the growing season. 



In most cases the vines, if properly cared for, will begin to bear 

 fruit the third year after planting and should continue to produce a 

 satisfactory crop for many years thereafter. 



Pruning should be done while the vines are in a dormant condition. 

 It is important to note that fruit is borne on shoots from the canes of 

 the previous season's growth. In pruning, therefore, enough new 

 wood should be saved to provide for the next summer's crop and the 

 rest should be removed. With healthy, vigorous vines, from 50 to 



