American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-27
Treatment of FrUit.TreeS that Bear
Every Alternate Season.

AS it is common occurrence for many
fruit-trees to yield a crop of fruit only
once in two years, the inquiry is frequent
ly propounded, "What is the cause, and is
there a remedy for it?'
The presentation of Il few genealogical
facts touching this subject will assure US
beyond all doubt that the fruitfulness of
tree-aside from certain causes beyond
the control of mortals-is subject to IA
miliar genealogical laws, which every in
telligent pomologist understands. 1t is
understood that the fruit buds of an apple
tree, from which the crop of apples must
be produced during the season of 1871,
were formed in the growing season of
1870. Ii there had been any occurrence
to prevent the formation of fruit buds in
1870, the tree, of course, could not pro-
duce fruit during the season of 1871. 1t
is well understood, also, that when a tree
is growing rapidly it cannot yield boun-
tiful supply of fruit; and when every
branch and twig bends with heavy crop
the spray and the buds cannot be expect
ed to make more than a small and feeble
growth. Hence so large a proportion of
the vital energies ofthe fruit tree bearing a
heavy burden of fruit is employed in the
the development of the crop, that the
buds for the crop of the succeeding sea
son cannot be properly unfolded; there
fore the season following the year of an
abundant crop is appropriated solely to
the development of fruit buds; and as
there is no fruit requiring the energies of
the tree, the whole vital force is concen-
trated in producing wood and fruit buds.
The next season, whether the year be odd
or even, nature having made preparation
in buds, there will be a bountiful crop of
fruit; and if none of the buds or young
fruit are broken off, all the vital powers of
the tree will center towards the full devel-
opment of the fruit, to the serious neglect
| of the crop of buds.
An intelligent friend has a valuable
apple tree, which yielded a bountiful crop
Of apples once in two years. He ex-
| pressed desire that promologists could
| have sufficient skill to make that tree
bear a moderate crop of fruit every
season, rather than heavy crop one year
and nothing the next. As the variety
was so excellent they greatly desired a
small supply, at least, every season. He
was assured that if he would whip off all
the blossoms on one half the tree-top, the
portion defoliated would yield supply
| the next season. AS he knew that if the
| tree produced fruit on only one half the
| top, there would be more than his family
| could use, he reluctantly tried the expert
| ment, in the success of which he cher
ished no confidence, and whipped oft
every blossom 10 be seen within the area
|
| Just as it always will be under similar
circumstances-there was a supply of
fruit the following season on that part of
| the tree from which the blossoms had
| been removed, while the other portion of
the branches yielded no fruit.
The same result could have been attain
ed by whipping off one-half or more of
| the blossoms over the entire tree. BY re-
moving the blossoms the specimens of
fruit would have been greatly lessened.
| Hence the energies of the tree would
have been adequate to the perfect devel-
opment of the limited crop, and also to
the preparation of the fruit-buds for the
| crop of the succeeding season.
Some pomologists have assumed that
the fruitful year always occurs on a season
designated in the calendar by an uneven
number, and the observations of Others
| have been confined to trees that have yield
ed fruit during the season represented by
an even number in the computation oil
| centuries. Thus far in the progress OF
scientific pomology no plausible reason
has been adduced to show why the fruit
tul season may not occur during veal
designated by an even or an uneven
number. The fact that fruit trees, which
have been accustomed to yield a crop or
what we denominate to be an "odd year,
have been so managed as to produce the
accustomed supply on an seven year." as
sures pomologists that the fruitfulness, OF
| want of prOductiveness, is not Influenced
either way by the season represented by ar
odd or an even number. There is one
fact connected with this subject which
most people have not failed to observe
namely, when the blossoms or the young
fruit or both, have been destroyed by
frost, the trees the following season viii
be unusually fruitful-N. Y. Herald.