. The Canadian horticulturist [monthly], 1893. Gardening; Canadian periodicals. The Canadian Horticulturist. 351 FRUIT SPURS AND FRUIT TREES. E know that fruit spurs are short twigs growing on the sides of limbs or branches of fruit trees. They are not sprouts nor branches, nor limbs. They consist simply of spurs, from one to several inches in length, terminating with one or many fruit buds. When they are not broken, or pruned off, these spurs appear on the bodies of every limb and branch of a fruit tree. Dame Nature is an expert pomologist, hence she covers every limb of a tree with fruit spu
. The Canadian horticulturist [monthly], 1893. Gardening; Canadian periodicals. The Canadian Horticulturist. 351 FRUIT SPURS AND FRUIT TREES. E know that fruit spurs are short twigs growing on the sides of limbs or branches of fruit trees. They are not sprouts nor branches, nor limbs. They consist simply of spurs, from one to several inches in length, terminating with one or many fruit buds. When they are not broken, or pruned off, these spurs appear on the bodies of every limb and branch of a fruit tree. Dame Nature is an expert pomologist, hence she covers every limb of a tree with fruit spurs. There is a scientific reason for producing fruit spurs, and there are also plausible reasons why they should not be broken off. Dame Nature produces them so that the leaves on them may shade the bare surface of limbs, and thus protect the sap and cambium from being scalded and baked by the intense heat of a summer sun. I have often observed the upper side of large limbs, from which all these spurs had been broken off, that were as dry and dead as if the surface had been scorched by a fire. The burning sun caused this damage. All the fruit spurs had been sawed, or cut or jammed off by the feet of those who were climbing in the tree top. Dame Nature produces these short spurs for an important purpose—namely, to bear fruit. In this scientific arrangement we perceive wonderful wisdom. When there are several apples or pears on a spur they will be less liable to be blown off by high winds than if they were hanging to the end of a limb or long twig. When most of a crop hangs at the ends of long and slender branches, a large portion will be jerked off by the rapid and continuous swaying of the branches during driving storms and tempestuous winds. Now then, we have a few important facts for the consideration of every person who owns only one fruit tree. There is no doubtful speculation about them. They are bed-rock facts which cannot be controverted. I have been familiar with them
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