Connecticut western news., 1889-11-06

logical principle upon which this ad- vice is based, is that which recognizes barrenness in fruit trees as the result of an undue amount of wood growth, and that any process that will secure a reduction of growth will induce fruit fulness. The removal of foliage from a tree in active growth will weaken its vitality by causing corresponding check to the extension of roots, but the removal of the mere points of strong shoots has no practical effect in check ing root growth. The roots grow and tho sap seeks outlets in other channels, forming new shoots, which, in no way, increase the fruitfulness of the plant. While it may be confidently stated that, as Q practical rule, summer pruning for fruit cannot be recom- mended, it is also true that there are certain periods in the growth of plant when the removal of a portion of the shoots would tend to increase the development of the remaining buds, without causing them to form new shoots. For example, if the grow ing shoots of pear tree are shortened one-third of their length, toward the end of June, the check will immediately cause the remaining buds on these shoots to push into growth and pro- ducc a mass of twigs. If this prun- ing is delayed until August and the season subsequently, proves to be warm and dry, the possibilities are that the remaining buds will develop into short spur-like shoots, from which blossom buds may be formed; but if the season continues wet, and mild growing weather extends late into the fall, these same shoots will be heightened into weakly, slender growths, which never mature. There is no certainty as to the proper time to summer -prune, be- cause no two seasons are precisely alike, and trees vary in their vigor from year to year.
 The natural and perhaps almost un- avoidable tendency of farmers meth ods during season of depression in agriculture is to restrict expenses as much as possible, employ less labor, and put their land in grass or other crops most easily and cheaply grown. In this way the balance between pro- duction and consumption is restored, and after year or two good prices reward the labor of the husbandman. Unfortunately, however, when this era on high prices comes and, indeed, because of that fact, farmers have less to sell than usual. Itwould obviously be better if farmers were to deviate at all from a steady and uniform course of cropping to make their great est efforts in the time of greatest dis couragements. Then they would have a large instead of small amount of produce to sell when grain and other farm products bore the highest price.
 It is the lack of available capital that most seriously handicaps major ity of farmers. It is this which inten- sifies the competition in crops grown with least labor and expense. Few farmers have money enough left after purchasing land to pay for working it in the most profitable manner. Often they can only stock it with nominally cheaper because inferior animals, and these do not pay their keep. There is equal difference in the kind of crops grown. Some are expensive, requir- ing an outlay fully as great as the orig inal cost of even high-priced land. But where the farmer follows these expen- sive crops judiciously and skilfully, working himself as we'll as superin- tending the labor of others, it is always found that these costly crops are more profitable than those more cheaply grown. If there is failure it is from attempting without experience to grow crops that the farmer knows nothing about. We have thus known of farmers who in fit of enthusiasm began market gardening or small fruit growing without previous experience in either, or under circumstances where
 no one having experience would at
 tempt such an experiment. That fail
 ure attends such injudicious efforts is
 no argument against either market
 gardening or fruit growing, if begun
 under proper conditions.
 Lack of knowledge and skill ii
 therefore more frequently cause O.
 failure on the farm than is lack O.
 capital. It takes Q plethoric purse
 often refilled, to conduct fancy ex
 perimeuts in farming. Yet thes'
 experiments, tried under proper con
 ditions, guided by skill and intelli
 gence, are often profitable. Unles
 the saving of money be no objec
 whatever, then the inexperienced
 fancy farmer had better not attemp
 the more expensive crops. They ar beyond his reach, and he should con