30 BULLETIN 1477, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
POND (HUNGARIAN PRUNE) 
Tree moderately vigorous, upright, open, inclined to make but few main 
branches other than the long rank* shoots which grow up from stubs of branches 
which have been cut back or along the main branches of heavily pruned trees. 
Under good growing conditions it makes a moderate quantity of new wood, 
but is readily influenced by pruning. The quantity of wood which it develops 
is determined more by local and cultural conditions than is the case with 
most varieties. It is very sensitive to drought, and if un irrigated severe cut- 
ting back and pruning are required to maintain vigorous fruiting wood, and 
the crops are below those in irrigated orchards (pi. 30, B). 
The long, erect shoots which grow on headed-back trees have few branches, 
and the short, lateral twigs and fruiting branches which develop well out 
on them do not appear near the base. If these shoots are not headed back 
they will bend badly with the loads of fruit, and both fruit and branches will 
be exposed to serious injury by sunburn. Where regularly headed back, the 
tops of trees not thinned out become sufficiently dense to cause the dying out 
of the smaller branches in the interior of the tree, which in this variety are 
very sensitive to shade. 
The fruiting branches and twigs, aside from small spurlike twigs which 
appear on the 1-year-old wood, are for the most part slender and branch but 
little if not induced to do so by being cut back (pi. 30, C). As a rule, the 
lateral spurs and twigs are short lived where shaded or on unthrifty trees. 
Aside from the branching along the larger 1-year-old shoots, the production of 
fruiting wood results from the outgrowth of terminals of twigs and fruiting 
branches. These increase in length from year to year, and an occasional new 
twig will grow from a lateral bud of a twig (pi. 30, C and D). 
The Pond variety is inclined to form twigs and branches instead of spurs, 
although many twigs which appear on the larger 1-year-old branches make so 
little growth in length during the first season that they may be called spurs. 
Much of the terminal growth made by bearing, unpruned trees, especially where 
the trees are not irrigated, is but little longer than the spurs of other varieties. 
The lateral spurs which do not grow out to form twigs usually die after fruit- 
ing. This indicates the need of a continued renewal of the fruiting wood, since 
the tendency of this variety is to produce twigs rather than spurs, and good 
crops can not be expected where these twigs make only a short spurlike growth. 
New twigs seldom replace those removed by pruning or accident, so the 
fruiting wood is seriously reduced when the trees are severely headed back and 
the fruiting branches thinned. Regular and moderate cutting back of both the 
large 1-year-old shoots and the smaller branches results in a vigorous growth 
of fruiting wood. 
Trees which are growing well bear their fruit chiefly on wood 1 and 2 years 
old, whereas with unthrifty trees much of the fruit is on the short spurlike 
growth at the end of branches. On 1-year wood which has made but a slender 
or poor growth the first season, the fruit usually appears near the base and at 
leafless nodes which will remain barren after the fruit harvest. Along the 
2-year-old wood considerable fruit is borne on 1-year short spurlike twigs which 
are also leafless, and all will die after the fruit ripens except a few of the most 
vigorous which grow to twigs (pi. 30, C). 
The decided tendency of this variety to bear fruit only on the young wood 
and of this wood to remain barren after once fruiting, suggests the need of a 
thrifty growth to maintain the desired fruiting wood. 
In habits of growth and production the Pond resembles the Bradshaw and 
the Giant rather closely, although the trees of the Giant are more vigorous 
and if well irrigated often produce a more satisfactory number of new fruiting 
twigs without pruning. Less pruning is required for Giant under an unfavorable 
environment than for the Pond or Bradshaw. 
PRESIDENT 
Tree moderately vigorous, upright spreading, open, inclined to branch but 
little if not cut back in pruning, and produces large fruit spurs which on a 
thrifty open tree are maintained throughout the top. The leaves are large 
and heavy, and large clusters of them form on spurs throughout the tree. 
Because of the lack of branching, the trees are usually sufficiently open for 
the admission of an abundance of light (pi. 31, A, B, and C). 
