Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-04-30
To Increase the size of Fruit,

Professor Dubreuil points out ten ways by
which the size OF fruit may be increased;
and as fruit raisers are discovering that fine
specimens bring higher price in city mar
kcts, these modes may be worthy Of atten.
ton. We condense his rules:
!. BY dwarfng.
2. Thinning the branches by pruning
3. BY keeping the bearing shoots short
and near the centre Of the tree, small spec
linens growing on the tips OF the shoots.
4. Thinning the fruit.
5. Shortening in.
q. Supporting the fruit on its foot stalk.
Z. Diminishing evaporation from tue sur
face.
=. Moistening the surface with copperas.
o. Ringing.
10. Inserting spurs Of old trees on vigOr.
Gus young ones.
Thee different n,adeshave varfoos Go.
grees of merit. Dwarfing, by working on
smaller growing stocks, sometimes produces
striking results. Some varieties of the pear
are OF little value except on ounce stalks. -
A successful niarketer Of pears has inform
ed US that he would propagate the Bartlett
IN no other way; for although the Tree
might Icrlsh after one or two crops, las ii
does not commonly endure long a. dwarf, ,
yet the double price he obtains for the lar
ger and finer specimens, more than repays
all expenses.
Thinning the branches by pruning, and
thinning the fruit on the branches, the q
and 4tb modes, are important and applca
BILE to all species, from the current up tc
the largest sorts of apple. Crowded shoot,
produce crowded aud halt grown leaves
and half grown leaves, As a natural con,e
qnence, give us only half grown fruit. Tbi.
mode should always be adopted in conDec.
tlon with good cultivation, the most ilnpor.
tant Of ali modes to grow large fruit. bu,
omitted by Professor Dubreuil. We have
tripled the size of the Seekel pear in a sin.
gle season by breaking aud mcllowing the
whole surface beneath the trees; and have
known the St Ghislain so much improved
IN havor as well as in size, that it scarcely
would have been recognized.
Under the 7th hepd--dimiDisbing the
evapOratlon-we are informed that fruits
covered with leaves are larger than on the
same trees not shaded. The increased size
OF fruit grown in bottles, is also mentioned
a. an another example, the confined moist
air keeping the epidermis pliable." We
think another and equally important reason
is the expansion OF the fruit by the increas
ed amount Of water it is thus made to hold.
Many have observed that winter apples
grown in dry seasons, are smaller frmer.
higher favored, and keep longer than those
which grow in wet summers. The increase
in Size, is, therefore. at the expense of fla.
vor and keeping, and detrimental to tn,
value ofall the uider favored varieties. =
Some very rich or acid sorts as the Esopu.
Sptzenburg, may bear diluiing. The small
fruits, as raspberries, strawberries. currants
&c', arc desired as large as possible, aud ir
rlgatlon, to supply abundant moisture
sometimes produces very desirable effects
We have observed Strawberries double il
size in twenty four hours, as compared BY
others besides them, by the accidental driI
of water cart.
A case is mentioned, where moistcning
an Easter Beurre with a solution of copper
as, from the time it was fairly set, once
fortnight, produced "a fruit 50 large, that
1t could scarcely be recognized" Wha
was the operation of the copperas? Wa,
not this result partly accidental at least?-
II is easily tried. We have not yer, grea
faith in what the darkey called 'apotekar!
manure"
Ringing the shoots may do well for pro
ducing curio,ities. In order that the callu
may exnde aud close up the removed bark
the width Of the ring should not exceed
one fifth of an inch. This mode has beer
tried frequently on the hardy sorts o
grapes, and the result is quite marked, bu
as the increase in size is usually at the ex
pense of flavor, and also Injuries the vine, i
will not be likely to be much adopted.
The other understanding spurs, sup
porting the fruit, &C., will do where speci
mems for exhibition are wanted, but are no
proposed for profit = Country Gentleman