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should be made to keep the fruiting wood 

 low. 



Strength — Make the tree strong and 

 stocky so it will hold up a maximum load 

 of fruit with as little artificial propping as 

 possible. Most varieties will bear more 

 fruit than they can hold up. Strong stiff 

 obliquely rising growth sustains weight 

 much better th.in horizontal branches but is 

 more apt to split at the crotch. A combina- 

 tion of the two is desired. Start the branch 

 out more horizontally and turn it upward 

 gradually as it becomes smaller and weaker. 

 This will give the strongest effect. Avoid 

 starting two or more of the main branches 

 near the same point on the trunk in forming 

 the head as a weak crotch is apt to result. 

 They should issue in a whorl at least six or 

 seven inches apart. 



Crooks in the limbs are slightly condu- 

 cive to strength and fruitfulness, as the 

 downward flow of the sap in them is more 

 restricted. 



A tree will hold up a heavier load if part 

 is distributed throughout the central portion 

 of the tree. 



LIGHT and Heat— Usually the fruit 

 of the highest color, size and quality 

 is in the top of the tree where the light con- 

 ditions are best. Prune to keep the form 

 open enough to admit sufficient light into 

 the more profitable lower and interior parts 

 of the tree. Light is not only essential in 

 properly coloring the fruit but is most neces- 

 sary in the digestion of the plant food in 

 the leaves. 



In California and climates of high sum- 

 mer heat, it is necessary to prune less open, 

 growing a denser top to shade and protect 

 the trunk and branches from sun scald. In 

 most localities of the Pacific Northwest 

 where there is little damage from heat, one 

 should strive to give as much light as pos- 

 sible to the fruit and foliage. 



Health and Vigor — Trees have a ten- 

 dency as they grow older, to become less 



BETTER FRUIT 



thrifty and vigorous and to produce smaller 

 fruit. Such trees make very little wood 

 growth and usually receive very little 

 pruning. The pruning should always be 

 sufficiently heavy to stimulate a healthy, 

 vigorous growth. This is particularly 

 important with small varieties as the Wine- 

 sap which becomes almost unmarketable on 

 old weak trees. 



Vigorous trees are less susceptible to the 

 ravages of borers and some fungus diseases. 



Size of Fruit — Pruning affects the size 

 of fruit in two ways: First, by keeping 

 the tree vigorous and healthy; second, by 

 thinning the fruit. Fruit thinning is in 

 reality pruning, but will not be discussed 

 in this article. 



Thinning may be more or less minimized 

 by antecedent pruning. Shortening or 

 thinning out bearing branches or removing 

 fruit spurs when clearly seen to be in excess, 

 keeping only sufficient bearing wood to cor- 

 respond with the size, vigor and bearing 

 habit of the tree is advisable. 



Bearing Wood — The fruiting habits of 

 trees may be corrected by regulating the 

 amount of bearing wood. On heavy bear- 

 ing, early fruiting or weak growing varieties 

 practice heavy winter pruning to discourage 

 the formation of fruiting wood. On shy 

 or tardy bearers, which are usually strong 

 rampant growers, fruiting can be stimulated 

 by practicing light summer pruning and no 

 winter pruning. Tipping back or pinching 

 off the growing tips is conducive to lateral 

 growth which may result in fruit spurs. By 

 repeatedly pinching back water sprouts may 

 develop into good fruiting wood.. 



Regular Bearing — A tree producing an 

 excess of fruit is seldom able to perfect 

 good fruit buds for the following year. 

 Hence a heavy crop is usually followed by a 

 light one. Any of the numerous causes, 

 including irregular pruning, lack of thin- 

 ning, and various cultural methods and 

 climatic conditions which produce either a 



Deceviber, 1921 



heavy or a light crop will tend to start the 

 irregular fruiting habit. 



To break the alternate year bearing habit, 

 summer prune and thin during the season 

 of heavy bearing, and winter prune after 

 the short crop. The habit is most easily 

 overcome by annual thinning. Moderate 

 annual pruning is conducive to regular 

 bearing. 



SYSTEMS of Pruning— There are but 

 two main systems of pruning, the cen- 

 tral leader and the open head, although 

 there are several modifications of both. 

 Either system will give good, strong, heavy 

 bearing trees if properly pruned. 



Central Leader System — The leader or 

 pyramidal type forms the tree into an ap- 

 proximate pyramid, with branches along a 

 central stem. In comparing this system 

 with the open head, it has the advantage 

 in that a stronger tree can be formed. The 

 load of fruit is distributed over a larger 

 number of branches issuing at intervals, 

 thus reducing splitting at the crotch. 



The objections to this system are: First, 

 the lower branches are apt to grow more 

 horizontal and when loaded, droop and in- 

 terfere with operations; second, the top 

 where the best fruit is eventually produced 

 is higher; third, the fruit is poorly distri- 

 buted, there being very little and poorly 

 colored fruit in the lower interior portions 

 where it is most profitably grown and easily 

 held up by the tree, and an abundance at 

 the top and out on the weaker ends of the 

 branches; fourth, the light conditions are 

 not as good, for the drooping of the loaded 

 branches more or less cover and shade the 

 fruit beneath. 



Open Head System — The open head is 

 the opposite of the central leader type. The 

 central stem is done away with and the head 

 is formed on three to five, preferably four, 

 main branches which issue near the ground 

 and rise obliquely, forming a more or less 

 inverted pyramid or vase shaped tree. The 



WRAPPERS 



PROTECTS 



"Caro" Protects-"Caro" Prolongs the Life of Fruit- Why? 



CHEMICALLY TREATED, "Caro" from DessiCARE (to dry up) 

 FRUIT MATURITY is retarded by cold or refrigeration end hastened by heat or atmospheric exposure. 

 The soft fibrous silk-like texture of "Caro" provides just sufficient ventilation to retard the ripening process. 

 FRUIT DECOMPOSITION starts from a bruise virkich opens tiny holes and permits juice to escape and BACTEIRIA to 

 enter. "Caro" clings closely and dries up the escaping juice. "Caro" ingredients harden the spot, kill the BACTERIA, 

 arrest the decomposition. 

 United State. DUtribulors, AMERICAN SALES AGENCIES CO., 112 Market Street, San FrancUco, California 



