Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-07-23
LIGHT CROP COMES
AFTER HEAVY ONE
SPRING CONDITIONS NOT AN I'M
PORTANT FACTOR.
USEFUL INVESTIGATION
BY Professor Sandsten-Facts About
FIGURING and Fruiting-CIimatic
Conditions During Summer and
Fall Have Large Relationship to
Character of Crops.

That there is little relation be
tween the spring temperature and
the time of Towering Of fruit trees
but that the temperature and other
climatic conditions during the pre-,
| ceeding summer and fall have much
| to do with the time of Towering. the
so-called forward or backward
season, are the conclusions of investi-
cations recently carried on by Pro
fessor E. P. Sandsten, professor OF
horticulture at the University of Wis,
consin. The results of these inVes-
| LEGATIONS are set forth in a series OF
tables in the latest of the agricul-
tural experiment station bulletins
The problem of the relations between
the climatic conditions and the time
of Towering of fruit trees has until
recently been given but little atten-
ton. For this reason the inyestiga-
tons made for the state agricultural
experiment station by Professor Sand
stem, on conditions that affect the
| time of the annual Towering Of fruit
trees. are of unusual interest.
Before these investigations it had
been found, in a general way, that
plants and trees native to the north
flower earlier than like plants trans
ferred from the south. Little had
been done experimentally, however,
TO determine the relative Importance
of the factors which are responsible
for the particular difference in be-
havior. While it was known that
temperature, sunshine, and moisture
are the most important factors deter
mining the time of Towering Of plants
there are other conditions, as the
age Of the trees, plant individuality,
plant food, altitude, geographical
peculiarities, and distribution of rain
fall, which are also important. These
the experiment station has used as a
basis for investigation.
What causes a given variety of fruit
to flower at a certain time, and what
causes the yearly differences in The
time at which such variety opens it's
flowers? The farmer or fruit grower
is accustomed to accredit the diff
ference to a forward" or backward
season, according to the progress of
the crops, but that is arguing in a
circle Some students have held
that the difference is due to tempera-
ture alone, saying that given plant
will flower when it has received a
given number of heat units above the
temperature required to start the
plants activities. Hence, if the
season is cold, trees will flower later
than if The temperature had been
higher. This Prof. Sandsten has
found true to some extent, and by
computing temperatures, first through
the season when the fruit buds are
forming, and afterward through the
season from January to the time of
bloom, he has found the definite num-
Der of heat units, which is called the
physiological constant" required for
! a given species to come to bloom.
The amount of fruit borne by a
tree one year greatly affects the for
nation of fruit buds for the next. A
heavy crop invariably delays such
formation, and causes the buds to en-
ter the winter stage partially de-
veloped. The production of large
crop and the maturing of seeds are
heavy drains on the tree, and it is
leason able to suppose that the matur-
ing of the fruit and the development
Of the fruit buds for the year follow
| ing can not proceed simultaneously
to any great extent, especially if the
season is unfavorable. When the
fruit buds enter the winter imper-
fectly developed, too, they need a
longer time in the spring before open
ing, and this would account in part
for the difference in time ofsf1owering
of the same and of different varieties
of fruit
Climatic conditions during the sum-
mer and fall preceding the time of
Towering are even more important
than the temperature during the
spring of Towering. The fruit buds,
it is known, develop in all fruit trees
The year previous to fruiting, and the
rate and extent of such development
is dependent upon heat, amount and
distribution of rainfall, soil conditions
and the health of the plant during
the time of bud formation. 1t is i'm
portant for the fruit grower to know
this, for though he can not regulate
the temperature, he can in large
measure control the moisture, soil
conditions, and general welfare of the
trees.
a MEL ON TEST