146 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



removed and the main stem shortened to a height of eighteen inches. 

 This insures a low head which will protect the body from sunburn and 

 greatly facilitate the work of picking, pruning, spraying, and thinning. 



The method of pruning considered best suited to conditions in this 

 State, and almost universally adopted here, is known as the vase form. 

 There are various ways of securing and maintaining this form. The 

 most popular method is as follows : At planting remove all laterals and 

 cut the tree back to a height of about eighteen inches. The following 

 winter three or four of the strongest and best placed branches are 

 selected to form the head of the tree. All laterals are removed from 

 these and they are cut back to a length of about eighteen inches. All 

 other growth is removed from the tree. 



The second winter leave two strong laterals on each of the main 

 branches left the previous year, and cut these back to about two feet in 

 length, removing all large laterals on these as well as on the other parts 

 of the tree. It is better at this pruning to leave some of the smaller 

 growth to protect the tree from sunburn and induce greater leaf action. 

 At the third pruning leave two of the strongest laterals properly dis- 

 tributed on each of the branches left from previous year's growth. 

 Shorten these to about two feet. Remove all the larger laterals from the 

 tree, but leave most of the small laterals especially those that hang down 

 from the main branches as these will bear a few peaches. 



Future pruning will consist mainly in renewing and regulating the 

 amount of bearing wood and preserving the form already established. 

 The tree should be kept well balanced and the center not too open, as 

 the fruit will naturally pull the branches outward, and if the center of 

 the tree is too much exposed, sunburn, borers and a rapidly decaying 

 tree will be the result. Trees making a feeble growth must be cut back 

 more severely than vigorous ones. The general rule is to cut back from 

 one half to two thirds of the season's growth. As the tree comes into 

 full bearing the growth of new w^ood diminishes and the number of 

 fruit buds increase, necessitating more severe pruning. 



Another method of vase form, known locally as the Sims method, has 

 been practiced for many years by Mr. Wm. Sims of Farmersville, and 

 is now practiced by the California Fruit Canners' Association in their 

 large orchard near there, by Hunt Bros, in their orchards near Exeter, 

 and by many individual growers in that vicinity. By this method the 

 trees are cut back to eighteen inches at planting and at the first winter's 

 pruning four or five of the most upright growing branches are left to 

 form the head. These are cut to a uniform height and as great a length 

 as the season 's growth will allow. On a vigorous tree this will be about 

 six feet. All laterals are removed from these. 



The second winter retain one strong upright branch emerging from 

 near the end of each branch of previous season's growth, and remove 

 all laterals from the tree larger than a lead pencil. Top these main 

 branches at a uniform height of ten or twelve feet from the ground 

 according to the growth made. Sometimes a lateral is allowed to grow 

 from one of these main limbs to fill in an open space in the outline of the 

 tree. At the end of the second winter's pruning we have a low headed 

 tree with four or five main branches ten or twelve feet long and so 

 upright that the tree is only six or seven feet across the top. Enough 

 small laterals are left for abundant shade. After this each season 



