32 BULLETIN 1477, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
is short, and fruit, instead of spurs, is produced near the base of them. This 
leaves this portion of the branch barren the next year, and heading back 
below spurs is necessary to induce the desired wood growth. The leaders are 
then barren except for the new annual growth at the end (pi. 31, D). In 
such localities it is necessary to practice rather severe annual heading back 
to stimulate the growth of the needed fruiting wood. 
BEINE CLAUDE 
Tree open, round topped, and of moderate rigor. It produces numerous 
fruiting branches, but is not inclined to replace those which are removed in 
pruning. Fruiting twigs sometimes refill openings made by removing branches 
but under moderate thinning out the tree becomes very open unless headed 
back to induce wood growth. 
In the production of fruiting wood the tendency is to form twigs rather 
than spurs. Numerous fruiting twigs are formed on the vigorous 1-year-old 
shoots (pi. 33, A). These form terminal spurs, under poor growing condi- 
tions, but continue to grow in length, becoming drooping twigs when conditions 
are such as to encourage wood growth. On the more slender 1-year-old shoots, 
short spurlike twigs instead of longer twigs are formed. If conditions are 
not favorable to wood growth, these are formed on all 1-year-old shoots, with 
few (if any) growing to twigs. If the short spurlike wood bears fruit it 
usually fails to produce leaves and dies after the fruit ripens. The vegetative 
vigor of the fruiting branches soon becomes low, and spurs are rarely pro- 
duced on wood more than 1 year old. Spurs and twigs which die or are 
broken off are seldom replaced. Regular fruit production and moderate or 
slow wood growth result in long barren sections of the fruiting branch. Ex- 
cessive fruit crops cause poor wood growth and loss of most young fruit spurs, 
but where the crop of fruit is light many of these are retained. The spurs 
which remain vigorous through their second summer are often retained for a 
number of years if conditions for wood growth are favorable, even if bearing 
good crops. Spurs and twigs along the terminal portion of the larger fruiting 
branches often remain thrifty for a few years even where the rest of the 
branches have remained barren after the first crop. Such branches produce 
heavy crops which cause them to droop. Where the vigor of the tree is not 
sufficient to cause a portion of the spurs to grow to twigs, the fruit is usually 
below the desired size (pi. 33, B). By heading back the stronger shoots, the 
development of twigs rather than spurs may be induced; and by the shorten- 
ing of twigs, some spurs on them grow to twigs which would otherwise die 
after fruiting. 
Where conditions for wood growth are exceptionally favorable and the new 
wood is well shortened each winter, almost no spurs will form, as all are 
stimulated to grow to twigs. 
On vigorously growing trees fruit is borne at leafless nodes on 1-year-old 
twigs and on 1-year-old leafless spurs almost entirely, but on unpruned trees 
where for other reasons there has been but little wood growth it is found on 
spurs with leaves. 
Bavay, a variety very similar to Reine Claude, is more inclined to form and 
retain spurs than is the Reine Claude, and the twigs are more inclined to 
terminate in spurs and remain short. The quantity of fruiting wood is there- 
fore not so seriously reduced by heading back, but more pruning is required 
to maintain a vigorous twig growth. 
SERGEANT (ROBE DE SERGEANT) 
Tree very vigorous, upright, open, becomes larger and spreading by con- 
tinuing the terminal growth of branches, and produces and maintains spurs 
well. It retains a strong vegetative vigor throughout the tree. If regularly 
headed back, trees with numerous framework and fruiting branches become 
compact by the growth of twigs ; but where not headed back to induce the 
growth of new branches the loads of fruit soon cause them to become open 
and spreading (pi. 34, A and B). 
By heading back or removing branches, large new shoots will be produced 
near points of pruning, although these shoots are not as a rule numerous. If the 
tree is open and growing slowly, a change in cultural treatment to favor 
wood growth will cause the development of new shoots in different parts of 
