Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-18
Treatment of Fruit-Trees that Bear
Every Alternate Season.

Every Alternate Season.
AS it is a common occurrence for many
truittrees to yield crop of fruit only
once in two years, the inquiry is frequent
ly propounded, "What is the cause, and is
there remedy for it?"
The presentation of a few genealogical
facts touching this subject will assure US
beyond all doubt that the fruitfulness of a
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 cours-, could not pro
duce fruit during the season of 1871. 1t
is we'll understood, also, that when tree
is growing rapidly it cannot yield a boun-
tiiul 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 of the 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, natCTt 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 valuable
apple tree, which yielded a bountitul crop
Of apples once in two years. He ex-
! pressed a desire that promologists could
have sufficient skill to make that tree
bear moderate crop Of fruit every
season, rather than heavy crop one year
and nothing the next. As the variety
was 50 excellent they greatly desired i,
| small supply, at least, every season. He
was assured that if he would whip of ali
! the blossoms on one-half the tree-top, the
| portion defoliated would yield a 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
| ishcd no confidence, and whipped OFT
| every blossom to he seen within the area
of about half OF the tree The result was
| Just as it always will be under similar
| circumstances-there was a supply OF
! fruit the following season on that part Oh
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
centuries. Thus far in the progress Of
scientific pomology no plausible reason
has been aGduced to show why the fruit
tul season may not occur during year
designated by an even or an unel
number. The fact that fruit trees, which
have been accustomed to yield a crop on
what we denominate to be an "odd year,
have been so managed as TO produce the
accustomed supply on an even year" as
sures pomologists that the fruittulness, OF
want Of productiveness, is not influenced
either way by the season represented by an
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 will
be unusually truitful-N. Y. Herald.
Excessive Use Of Water.--ln the
l. Il, ivan