Pruning.
To reduce the competition between branches, to open the plant to light and air, to facilitate spray ing, tillage and other care, pruning is necessary in all bush-fruits and trees. In the bush-fruits, old canes must be removed and new vigorous ones allowed to take their place ; the bearing canes may need to be headed back to keep them within hounds. How much to prune fruit trees depends on the species, age and the locality. More pruning is needed in some localities than in others. In the hot, bright sunny regions of the plains very open headed trees are liable to sun-scald. As a general statement, it may be said that trees should be pruned with as much pains and regularity as they are tilled or sprayed. The best season for the main pruning is late winter or very early spring. The branches should be cut close to the trunk, as long stubs do not heal readily and rot is likely to set in. We need fundamental studies of the effects of pruning ; it is not unlikely that some of the cur rent teaching is erroneous.
.s'pe.-ial risks.
The great impediments and risks in the growing of fruits are : 01 hard winters ; (2) frosts ; 0 insects ; (41 plant diseases. To these must be added the climatic risks that are common to all agriculture, as too much or too little rainfall, hail-storms, destructive winds. Every experienced fruit-grower is aware of the mental attitude that he must take toward these four impediments, but for the novice these attitudes may be briefly stated. (1) Hard winters are beyond control ; the fruit grower calculates on this risk when he chooses the region in which he shall set his plantation ; he chooses hardy varieties ; he then endeavors to have his ground well drained, if he is in a cold climate, so that there is no standing water, to en able the tree roots to strike deep, and to produce such a condition and depth of soil as will hold much moisture and thereby prevent dry-freezing ; he plans his tillage in such a way that the trees go into the winter with well-matured wood ; in cer tain orange-growing regions, slat sheds are built over the trees. (2) Light frosts may sometimes be prevented on small areas [see Vol. I, pp. 540, 589], but in general they are beyond control, and the grower calculates on the probability of them when he chooses the particular site or exposure of his plantation. (3, 4) For most insects and diseases there are now preventives, remedies, or even speci fics; the grower keeps himself informed and armed ; it is a question largely of business organization, that takes in a situation and then brings to bear the means to meet it ; reading a half-dozen books and all the special bulletins he can get is not too great a personal sacrifice to make in order to be pre pared to meet the enemy. [See the articles on
insects and diseases, pages 35-53.] farietim The question of varieties is one of the most important in the whole round of fruit-growing, and also on e of the most difficult of solution. A mistake in the varieties may prevent any profit or satisfac tion in the planta tion. Two elements in the problem are the choice of varie ties, and the means of securing them true to name. The choice of varieties is largely a personal and local question, to be determined after careful study of the farm and the market. The producing of trees true to name is the nurseryman's re sponsibility. This responsibility is grave, and it should be rigidly enforced by public sentiment.
A new attitude toward varieties is now develop ing : there are varieties within varieties. That is, minor strains and adaptations of varieties may be of the greatest value, particularly when the grower expects to reach a good market under his own name. Thus, a single bush of raspberry or blackberry of a given variety may exhibit features that make it superior to all others in the field ; such plant should be propagated for the owner's planting. It is illog ical to expect the best results from promiscuous cions or buds of any variety of apple or pear or orange. As there are trees of individual excellence, so it may be expected that cions from those trees will tend to perpetuate those excellencies. There has therefore arisen a desire among fruit-growers who plan to produce a superior product to top-graft their young trees with cions from known parents. It is of little consequence that this method does not produce what may be called new varieties : it prob ably aids in producing plants of given efficiency. Every good fruit-grower, as well as every good grain-farmer or cotton-planter, now becomes con sciously a plant-breeder, as the good stockman has always been an animal-breeder. [See the article on Plant-breeding, page 57.] Cost.