4Q0 



Experiments with Apple Trees. [nov., 



would appear that the average size of the fruits is not affected^ 

 by the heaviness of the crop, so that any excessive thinning oF 

 fruit will secure no advantage in the size of that left on the 

 trees. Three different classes of cases were examined where 

 the influence of weight of crop on the size of fruit should have 

 been apparent, if any existed ; but they all showed an absence 

 of any such influence. This observation, however, refers to 

 apples only, and also to varieties of apples which thin them- 

 selves fairly well. 



Cutting Back. — The effect of cutting back at once on planting, 

 or deferring that operation till after the first year's growth, may 

 depend to a certain extent on the character of the subsequent 

 seasons, but in most cases it will probably result, as it did here, 

 in showing a considerable balance in favour of immediate cutting 

 back. The time of cutting back did not affect the ultimate size 

 and vigour of the tree, but there was a large loss of fruit in cases 

 where the cutting back was deferred, Owing to vigorous growth 

 having followed that operation when performed, and having 

 prevented the formation of fruit buds during the second and 

 third years. 



Pruning. — The general results obtained in experiments on 

 pruning trees to different extents have been somewhat sur- 

 prising. There would appear to be no very certain effect on 

 the leaf-size whether a tree is pruned hard or not pruned at all, 

 and hard pruning certainly appears to be inimical to the general 

 growth of a tree, even when we measure that growth by a 

 feature such as the girth of the stem, and take no account of 

 the spread of the branches or the height of the stem. It is in 

 the crops, however, that the absence of pruning appears to the 

 greatest advantage, for the trees which were unpruned bore 

 crops of three times the value of those which were pruned 

 heavily, and 50 per cent, greater than those which were pruned 

 moderately. The increased value depended nearly entirely on 

 the increased weight of crop in these cases ; but it is specially 

 noticeable that the absence of pruning did not, on the average, 

 diminish the size of the fruits. The unpruned trees, also, are 

 by no means so straggling and unshapely as might have been 

 anticipated. It must be remarked, however, that an absence of 

 pruning would probably produce less favourable results in the 



