I III'. SIJMMKK IMMJNI N*i <>F FRUIT 'I REICH, 



187 



THE SUMMKU I'KUNINfi OK KKUIT THE 138. 



I'ajmrH read at tlx- Scientific Committee meeting, October 16, L0O7< 



r I'n J-: Chairman, Mr. b). A. JiownuH, in introducing tlx; matter for 

 discussion, pointed out that tlx; subject of the Hurnmor pruning of fruit 

 trees is one upon which there is much difference of opinion and great 

 variety of practice among fruit growers. It therefore becomes important 

 to collate the experience of the practical grower and the results obtained 

 hy those who have made the matter a subject of careful experiment* in 

 order that a rational system of procedure may he laid down for the benefit 

 of the fruit-growing industry in the country, and that those points which 

 are still obscure may be defined, so that they may the bettor be made the 

 objects of future experiment The principal points upon which it seems 

 desirable to obtain evidence are the bearing upon the question of (I) the 

 form of the tree dealt with, (2; the nature of the stock upon which it La 

 grafted, (*>) the nature of the root system developed, (4) the nature of the 

 variety, f.O) the method of pruning adopted in the winter, 10) the age of 

 the tree, (1) the character of the soil, and (H) the character of the season 

 both be-fore and after the priming is done. 



Mr. EL BOMSBfl Kjvkks, of Sawbridgoworth, said : 



There would not appear at first sight to la: much connection between 

 the summer pruning of fruit trees and salmon fishing with a fly, yet there 

 is this similarity in that there is a diversity of opinion about each. 



in the fishing some maintain that the salmon bike-; a lly with the 

 laudable desire of feeding on it, others that it is merely out of curiosity 

 or play. Since whenever the fish is examined after being killed in our 

 rivers no food is found in him, the hitter theory would iccm to be correct, 

 but it was a long time before this was established. 



In the same way with fruit tree:-;, summer pruning is said to be 

 beneficial because it induces the formation of dwarf hoots or fruit spurs. 



As the fisherman has his book full of gaudy Hies to choose from accord- 

 ing to the state of the water, so the pruner advises earlier or later ;u inne r 

 pinching or pruning, or even the twisting only of the shoot:;, the partially 

 snapped ends of which are left hanging down, showy arid attractive to the 

 eye as a salmon -fly. 



Whether an apple or pear tree be summer and winter pruned, or 

 winter-pruned only, makes not a particle of difference, as far as I can see, 

 to the buds at the base of the current year's shoots. They are not changed 

 from long into dwarf shoot-producers becau >e the shoot on which they 

 are borne has been shortened a few weeks earlier or later. 



Summer pruning is beneficial because it Jets the light and air into 

 a tree, exposing the fruit to the evening dew-; and the ;ummer sun, 

 enabling it to develop its full colour and beauty. 



The root system and branch system are closely correlated, and in their 

 mutual relations the former is the dominant partner. 



