The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-10-07
TREES WITHOUT BARK
SAID TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
INTO BEARING.

The Facts ia the Case Explained--Do
Not Try the Experiment.
In William Campbelrs orchard there
is one row of trees loaded down with
young pears but all the other trees are
barren of fruit. Mr., Campbell and other
growers attribute this to the fact that
about a year ago COWS broke into the or
chard and ate the bark off one entire
row. The bark was stripped all the way
round each tree. They are loaded with
pears and it is thought that destroying
the bark caused the sap and strength of
the tree to go into the fruit. To further
this theory there is another tree in
different part of the orchard from which
the cows ate the bark around one of the
limbs. This branch is also covered with
pears while the other limbs ON the same
tree are perfectly barren. The entire
orchard is subject to the same conditions
of heat and exposure. The general pear
crop is a failure and in number of or
chards the amount of fruit will not JUS
tify the gathering = Florida Times
Union.
Although you may have read the above
in fruit growers journal do not try it.
If COWS ate all the bark from one row of
trees, every tree would have died instead
of being loaded down with young
pears" The COWS simply ate off the old
layers of bark which had performed all
all of its functions. except acting as a
shelter for the new formed or forming
layer under it. When the new bark is
being deposited, say from May to July
1, depending on the climate) it is more
firmly attached to the new sap wood
layer than it is to the bark formed the
year before. Therefore Mr. CampbelIs
cows left all the true and essential bark
unhar1ned. A tree peels easily at GER
tain time and the novice thinks by such
peeling he is taking all the bark off Old
bark bound trees are often made more
vigorous and fruitful by peeling off the
old bark. But it will not do to strip a
tree as soon as the bark peels readily in
the spring for at that time all the bark
would come away and the tree would
surely die, unless the debarked portions
be at once covered with suitable arti-
{cial bark-a heavy coat of shellac var
nish covered with cloth or anything. The
reasons why these pear trees were thrown
into bearing are these:
The cows in gnawing the outer layer
of bark wounded and bruised the new
layer of bark and the new wood layer
forming under it. This interfered seri-
oJ1sly for time with the downward
flow of sap which the leaves were at
that time celebrating in great quanti-
ties, causing an engagement of the trees
, above the wounds and the formation of
fruit buds without which no fruit could
be produced the next year. The reason
why the other pear trees in that neigh
borhood and orchard did not set .sfuli of
little pears was because they were
growing so fast IN regular. normal
way, with high cultivation and rich soil.
that no fruit buds We're formed Under
natural conditions the vigor of q young
tree is given entirely to branch growth
to carry the coming fruit and trunk
growth to carry the branches and to an
immense and intricate root system for
the support of the whole structure.
When all of these have been faily well
matured the tree is in natural. nor
mai condition to bear fruit. and plenty
of 1t, for years. Yet we are anxious for
first fruits. But precocious fruiting is
ut the expense of vigor and longevity.
Many frnits have been specialized in the
line of early production. Some varieties
are so far specialized in that line that
one or two crops exhausts them.
That nearly everything that endange1s
the life of a young vigorous tree throws
it into fruitage is not strictly true. Any
thing interfering with the downward
flow of elaborated plant food during the
three summer months causes the forma-
tion of fruit buds and the next spring
the tree fruits if the conditions are right.
This interference may be of many kinds.
Such as debarking, taking out a narrow
circle of bark around trunk or branch.
bruising all around with hammer or
driving nails or spikes into them no mat
ter whether such spikes be rusty, medi-
Gated, wood. copper, iron or ANYTHING
else. 1t is the hammering and the
wounds IN the bark and wood obstruct-
ing the downward nutritive flow that
does the business and not any particular
kind of spike. Therefore, when the itin-
Grant medicated spike doctor comes
along and agrees to throw your young
and thrifty orchard into bearing for two
bats a tree tell him to pass along. One
more point. Young and vigorous grow
ing trees may bloom enormously in the
peculiar climates of this Coast and all
fall off and no fruit set. This is not be-
cause there was cold rain at blooming
time. Nor astrong wind; nor imperfect
poflination; nor to the absence of bees
and insects to help pollinate tie flowers,
but simply because nature, On second
Thought, considered it better to extend
and strengthen the trees root system be-
fore going into the fruit business. The
roots are the Last portions starved with
and xrv1,o
ON the sap they starve the fruit bud.
rTY,eefs ara the sy,aaSoy,s xxb,r 1,losso,.,.s 4