112 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



interior of the tree, but to retain such degree of open interior as is 

 found desirable. When the tree is laden with fruit, the weight natur- 

 ally expands the top quite enough to admit the sunlight without expos- 

 ing either the fruit or the branches to danger of burning. Thus ifc 

 appears that instead of the true vase of wine-glass, with hollow interior 

 and thin walls, we have the general exterior outline of this model, but 

 give a good part of the central area of the figure to bearing shoots, and 

 thus secure a large bearing surface with well-strengthened supports. 



It has been found that this many-branching form, developed upon a 

 few main branches well placed upon the trunk, gives a stronger tree 

 than can be had by growing a considerable number of leaders, all start- 

 ing from near the point where the tree was headed at planting. Such 

 leaders crowd each other at the point of emergence from the stem, and 

 when laden with fruit, sway outward and break out at this point. A 

 vastly stronger tree is secured by starting but four or five branches 

 from the low trunk and letting them emerge from different sides of 

 the stem, and at different levels. Thus teach main attachment to the 

 stem has abundant room, and the wood enlarges symmetrically and 

 solidly. The expansion of the top is attained by the branching which 

 follows the cutting back of succeeding years. Starting branches from 

 nearly the same level on the stem has been the occasion of great losses 

 of overladen trees, and quite a considerable recourse to strengthening 

 up weak trees by running bolts through from side to side at the points 

 where experience shows breakage is likely to occur. In this respect it 

 is now clearly shown that the practice which was widely adopted a few 

 years ago of beginning with a very short stem and using the three or 

 four adjacent buds nearest the point to which the tree was cut back at 

 planting is defective. It is much better not to cut back so far at plant- j 

 ing, but to leave a longer trunk, keep a greater distance between the? 

 main branches and still have the lowest branch as near the ground as 

 before, thus securing a tree which is practically as low as that secured 

 by the old method of starting. This point will be enforced by illus- 

 trations. 



HOW TO SECURE THE COMMON VASE FORM 



For the benefit of the inexperienced reader, it will be well to illus- 

 trate the steps by which the form of tree found so generally desirable 

 is to be attained. 



Cutting Back at Planting. This has been already mentioned 

 as essential to strong growth of the transplanted tree. It is also the 

 prime act in securing a tree with a low head and strong branches. For- 

 merly trees were cut back farther than desirable and the branches 

 allowed to crowd each other, as has just been stated. It is better to 

 retain twenty-four inches of stem than twelve inches providing care 

 is taken during the first summer to prevent, by pinching, the growth 

 of too many branches near together. Allow those to grow which are 

 more distant from each other on the stem and pinch the intervening 

 shoots. In this way one can have the lowest branch at six inches from 

 the ground in the hot valleys if desired, or twelve inches in the coast 



