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FIG CULTURE 



side branches, which soon sprout near the ends, 

 those left being promptly checked in order to divert 

 growth from wood to fruit. 



These considerations caused experiments to be 

 made in the South to test the effect of destroying 

 terminal buds. In the experiments trees were treat- 

 ed in groups, one group having all terminals re- 

 moved early in the season, a second group a little 

 later, and so on until ten comparative plats were 

 formed. By the side of each plat trees grew natur- 

 ally. All pruned plats gave negative results; for, 

 without exception, the treated trees yielded less 

 than untreated ones ; lateral branchlets developed on 

 about ten inches of the stems, and no increase of 

 wood or fruit could be seen below that distance; 

 while those few inches where branchlets grew devel- 

 oped no figs, although having time to mature. Per- 

 haps, by pinching the terminals of each lateral 

 branchlet the sap could have been turned further 

 back. This, however, is doubted; for a fig matures 

 more quickly close to the leaf than upon a bare 

 limb, the leaf having attraction for sap of which 

 fruit derives benefit; and as each leaf always falls 

 before the fruit at its axil is ripe, so much reduc- 

 tion of leaf area by terminal and lateral pruning 

 should result in checking the growth of each entire 

 branch ; field observations confirm this conclusion. 



Corbett thus summarizes the objects of pruning 

 in general: "The gardener, therefore, has as rea- 



