8 LEAFLET 22 4, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the ground is dry enough and continue as needed until September or 

 October. 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. — Regular irrigation is necessary in most of this region, 

 except in western Oregon and Washington. It is especially needed 

 by the small fruits. Where winter rains have not filled the soil, a 

 good irrigation wetting in March, April, or June, and then at monthly 

 intervals until September, should be given. On sandy soils the irri- 

 gations must be more frequent than on heavy soils. 



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, partic- 

 ularly 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 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 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 train up a strong trunk during the 

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

 two-wire trellis, 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 each 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 during 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 removed. With healthy, vigorous vines, 50 to 60 buds will 

 produce as much fruit as the vine can mature properly. More wood 

 may be left on vines for home production, provided sufficient space is 

 available for the vine to develop. With vigorous vines, the leaving of 

 more wood may result in a greater total quantity of fruit, but the 

 individual bunches may be inferior in size and the fruit of poorer 

 quality. 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1942 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, --••*- - Price 5 cents 



