The Yale expositor., 1915-06-17
(By J. c. wHITTEN.)

(By j. G. WHlTTEN)
There is perhaps no phase Of farm
ing in which careful methods pay bet
ter than they do in fruit growing.
There is probably nothing else grown
on the farm that suffers more if neg
lected than does the orchard. Most
of our essential farm crops are an
nuals.
The plants which produce them
grow but single season. If the farm
er neglects them, or If the season is
bad, or il mistakes are made, the mis-
fortune which results lasts but single
season.
The farmer may plant another crop
next year and start afresh with new
plants. The orchard trees are peren-
malls; once planted they should last
for years. ANY misfortune which over
takes them in a given season may
show it's bad effect for years, or even
through the life history of the trees.
Mistakes made in the management
of fruit trees may not easily be recti-
fed next year.
Again, annual farm crops live during
the favorable growing season OF the
year. They are out Of the way before
winter comes.
Fruit trees must not only grow in
summer, but must live over winter and
endure the inclement season. They
should be kept in the best condition in
order successfully to do this.
ehA for In
mind that a fruit tree is at all seasons
a living, sensitive, plastic, shapable
thing. 1t is affected by everything
that is done to 1t.
1t will show the results of any phase
of treatment, whether of culture or
pruning or of spraying. Whatever is
done to 1t will make it different from
what it would have been If left alone.
The farmer should strive to do those
things to 1t which will make it better,
rather than be injurious.
The man who begins seriously to
study his trees will soon begin to
realize more fully that they are living,
shapable things and that they easily
show him by their appearance whether
they are profiting or being injured by
anything which is being done to them.
Right now is a good time to begin
that study. One should be able to tell
the age of the tree, or of any of its
branches. He should determine how
much Of it has been produced each
year.
BY beginning at the outer tip of the
| limb he can determine how much Of it
| grew last summer, or in any previous
season, by the rings or circular scars
around the twig which mark the spot
where growth began in the spring.
Reflect that growth began In spring
from a terminal bud. AS growth be.
gan from the center of this bud it's
winter scales fell off. leaving semi
circular scale bud scars quite close TO-
gether, around the twig.
These are the rings" that mark the
dividing line between each years
growth. The amount of length growth
of each year may be associated with
what was done to the tree or by the
character of the season which infiu
enced that growth.
A knowledge of the fruit buds and
the wood buds is important. The for
mer are those large, well-rounded buds
which in spring will produce bios
SONS and fruit The latter are the
smaller, fiatter and more pointed buds
which produce wood growth ant
leaves. Fruit-buds which will product
flowers and fruit this spring were
formed the previous summer
BY their character and abundance
one may in winter Judge the prospec
of the fruit crop the coming season.
From the blossom scars and frui
scars left on the branches one may b
able to tell In what years the tree
have borne fruit in the past.
II the trees have blossomed an
fruit failed to set only the small bio'
som scar will be visible ar cluste