AIMM.K <!KO\V1N<; IN CALIFORNIA. 



53 



tliis trunk are three branches which have had two years' growth, and in 

 turn each one of these supports three main branches with a few laterals 

 or fifteen for the entire tree, which have had only one year's growth. 

 If instead of the five scaffold branch tree we develop a head with three 

 there wotild be only nine of the one year old branches left, which, how- 

 ever, is enough with the laterals that they in turn will throw out to 

 make a big tree, capable of bearing just as nnirh fruit as the former, 

 ;md having the advantage usually of extra strength of branches. 



A slight modification of the system recommended for the first three 

 \ears is used in heading the young Gravenstein trees in the Sebastopol 



Kic. :!!. A young apple tree, well headed, after the third season's pruning. 



(Original.) 



section. This tree makes a splendid growth under the conditions exist- 

 ing in that section, and in order to prevent crowding in the head, 

 to render cultivation easy close to the trees, and to develop strong 

 branches, three are left during the second season and cut back as 

 already suggested. Only one branch is allowed to develop on each of the 

 three limbs of the second season's urowth. and is cut back the third 

 season, so that the tree still has only three main branches, but each 

 one cut hack so that the height of the head is increased by only a couple 

 of feet. Fig. 35 shows a young Gravenstein tree at Sebastopol with 

 three selected branches cut back to 7 inches the beginning of the second 

 season and allowed to develop additional length the third. The fourth 

 season tw. <>r three branches are selected on each one of these. In this 

 manner a little higher branching head is developed, but one which is 

 very stronir see Fig. 36). due to the growth being thrown into only 

 ilii-ee branches, well cut back for two seasons after planting. 



