The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-01
In Order to Make a Success of
Fruit Growing the Principle of
Restriction Must Be Put Into
Practice-It Is One of the Es-
sentialS of the Business.

SCuLidlS VI I11C oOS1LCSS.
(Ry NJ. N. Edgerton, Michigan.
Nost small fruit plants perpetuate
ami multiply their species in two
WAYS, through the production Of seed
and nodes.
seeds are produced in the fruit Of
plants. Nodes are the knot-ike pro-
tuherances that appear on the stems
of the plants, with the strawberry,
stems are known as runners.
With this plant new fruits are made
as the runners lengthen. Leaves
spring upward from the nodes and
the roots strike downward into the
soil very quickly if the soil is loose
and moist
i;ed raspberries and blackberries
propagate In much the same Way-the
roots acting as runners.
II allowed to follow the natural
course Of it's being this purpose Of its
life will be prosecuted to the fullest
possible extent without reference to
the quality and quantity Of fruit pro
duced.
It is by placing restriction upon the
plants in this matter of reproduction
that larger crops Of better fruit are
secured.
The plant has only a certain amount
Of energy to use, therefore reduce
the number Of seeds to be natured
q y
il directed to the building up Of the
remaining seeds and seeu receptacles.
In order to make a success in grow
ing fruit Of whatever kind the prn-
cipic Of restriction must be put into
practice, for plant restriction is one
Of he essentials of fine fruit growing.
III strawberry growing we find that
those Earieties which show tendency
toward propagation by means of nodes
do not grow large fruits, while those
Varieties which send out few runners
either produce large fruit or numerous
fruit clusters.
will use the Warfield and Nick
of This principle.
When allowed to run at will the
WariieId sends out numerous runners
several times as many as the second
named variety, but each individual
plant necessarily being small Will
have but one or two fruit stems, the
tndiyidual fruits being. under-sized
While the Nick Oner, making fewer
plants. produces large berries.
Place both varieties under restric
tion The Warield plant will grow
an extensive root system and immense
fruiting crowns filed with numerous
fruit stems.
tnder our system Of culture fruit
in2 plants with 200 fruit buds ane
tpNaTu Is nOlnlNS uIuSudl.
che fruit, too, Will be much large
and liner than when not restricted
Il IS not to be taken for granted
however, that each bud produces {
ripened fruit.
Under like conditions the Mel
Omer builds up larger fruit crown
aud develops d more extensive roo
system.
|, sends out two or three frui
st"rs only but the individual fruit
ar extremely large.
10 two varieties will present tn
same identical characteristics Whel
placed under restriction, in fac
results will often be greatly at Varl
anca.
There are varieties of so little wort
that no amount of restriction can pro
duce satisfactory results, yet notWlth
standing this, the principle of direct
inS energiZed plant force into a pro
reproducing channel by conservln
p'aHt energy then restriction Rolo
good.
With our plan of culture the con
serving of plant energy through re
sfriction begins with the neWl
established plantation.
First more or less plant enesry
conserved by our method of handHn
ana setting the plants.
Then. upon their appearance a
irult stems are removed at once.
is much better TO remove these stem
PRIOR TO the opening of the petals Il
then loss Of energy through pole
secretion is prevented
The fruit stems being removed {
once the entire strength and eners
ot the plant is directed toward tn
re-eSta biiShment itself into its ne
nome and to the reproduction or !
kind through node formations, tf
identical result most desired.
As the runners appear on the plan
AMI leaves begin TO show on III