The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-15

nome grown TruitS shoulo De oL the finest quality. Too often, how ever, this Is not the case. The home trees are very frequently neglected. It is natural for us to put off the things we have never done before, and many persons who have had ex- perience with vegetables and flowers have never done much with fruit. Plan this year to have your home fruit as perfect as it can be grown.
 To make sure of good fruit, how ever, it is necessary to start NOW with the care of the trees. The fruit buds,' which are the basis of this falls harvest, have already been in existence for many months. Fort unately this winter, unlike last, has been very favorable for them, so that you have the satisfaction of know ing that at least good start is all ready assured.
 The first point in the care of the home orchard is to keep it clean. All the ground under and near the trees should be raked and all the re- fuse, fallen limbs, old fruit, etc, re- moved and BURNED. It is in just this kind of trash that a great many of the disease spores, and insect eggs are carried over winter to make trouble the following year. All old fruit clinging to the trees num- mies' as the fruit-growers call them should be carefully removed. The old trees, especially old apple and pear, trees, should be scraped with an old hand hoe, or a tree scraper, to remove the loose outer bark which forms favorable harboring place for many insect eggs, cocoons, etc.
 Too often trees about the home are allowed to go without any culti- vation so that sod remains year after year close up about the trunk. Where trees are planted in the lawn, of course, a good sod is as important as the fruit. But even in this case a small circle, at least three or four feet in diameter, of soil should be kept dug up about each tree. If your trees have not been cultivated in this way dig Up about them at once. There may be some surface roots which will be broken in the process but this will not hurt anything
 PRUNING: Many amateur grow CTS are almost as reluctant to cut any tree or bush around the place as they would be to cut limb from a pet animal! As a matter of fact, however, pruning, and at times quite severe pruning, is one of the most necessary factors. in obtaining good fruit
 If pruning has been done carefully and consistently since the setting out of a fruit tree very little cutting at any one time will be required to keep it in condition. If not, more severe treatment will have to be used.
 All pruning, however, should be done with great care. It is possible | to do more injury than good by care | less or misdirected work. Pruning is required, first, to keep the tree ir | good health and form; second, tt make a young growing tree develop
 in the right way; and third, to pu | a tree which has been neglected l back into good condition again
 In the case of any tree which ha! l been neglected the first step is to re move all dea:SI wood and all limbs
 or branches which have become brok
 en or otherwise injured. Then al | sprouts or suckers or surplus youn! | growth springing from the regula 1 limbs The first thing which a ne | g1ected apple or peach tree tends u l do is to grow up into the air. Flo l convenience in caring for the tree
 and in picking the fruit they should | be kept at a reasonable height l Therefore, the top, upright growinf 1 Headers on a tree which has beer l neglected should be cut back, thu
 inducing the growth of the latera | branches, Even when this is don' there is likely to be altogether tot much wood left. To get perfect frui 1 the center of the tree should be oper | enough so that the branches do no 1 cross and so that the sun and aii
 have free access to all parts of th' tree. Therefore, the least desirable' 1 of the branches going towards the
 center of the tree should be removed | One of any two branches which cros'