260 CALIFORNIA FRUITS I HOW TO GROW THEM 



shortening in what are left as occasion may require, to an inside bud. On the 

 windward side we rarely cut any branch out, but shorten in a little to an outside 

 bud, frequently being obliged to cut back a strong shoot to a lateral which is 

 growing outward." Leonard Coates, Morganhill. 



"It is hard to get a misshapen Winter Nelis tree into shape. Let the grower 

 take his shears and go around the tree and examine the difficulty until he is 

 conversant with it, and then commence to prune, not to heavily, though. Cut 

 the limbs that lean too far leewards back a little with an inside bud, and train all 

 future limbs toward the weather side of the tree; cut limbs this year so that 

 the coming buds will form limbs growing in the direction of the weather side of 

 the tree. But use moderation and take your time for it, and don't cut too many 

 big limbs off three-year-old trees none, in fact, if it can be helped. In bringing 

 limbs to proper place, I have found a piece of cornstock the required length for 

 the intended place, inserted endwise between the limb and the body of the tree to 

 be spread, to be a very good brace, easily made, and not likely to injure the tree." 

 T. E. Owen, Santa Cruz. 



These methods will suggest others by which one can bring the most 

 irregular grower into shape. If the tree is cut at planting so as to form 

 the head low, it may be safely left until bearing age for shaping. The 

 tree naturally makes a viny growth of young wood, and the object of 

 leaving it alone is that one limb holds the others more upright until the 

 main limbs become large, or stiff enough to keep the shape ; so they 

 may be left, after being thinned out to form three to five limbs, as judg- 

 ment may direct. Some trees will be best with three or four, others 

 five. 



The experience of pear pruning just cited has been secured in 

 regions more or less subject to coast influences. In the hot interior 

 valleys, with the pear as with the apple, care must be taken to prune 

 so as not to open the tree too much to the sun, but to shorten in and 

 thin out only so far as is consistent with maintaining a good covering 

 of foliage. 



The pruning of bearing pear trees is much like that of the apple, to 

 be determined largely by the habit of the tree, and to secure a fair 

 amount of fruit on branches with strength and stiffness enough to sus- 

 tain it. 



Summer pruning will promote fruiting either in a young or an old 

 tree and some practice it to secure early bearing of young trees, but 

 the common practice is winter pruning to secure strong wood and 

 prevent overbearing. 



THINNING PEARS 



It is quite important to attend to thinning the fruit on overloaded 

 trees. Even the popular Bartlett will often give fruit too small for 

 profitable sale unless thinned. With pears, as other fruits, thinning 

 should not be done until it is seen that the fruit is well set. Dropping 

 off from natural causes sometimes thins the crop quite enough. 



IRRIGATION OF THE PEAR 



In some situations the pear needs irrigation, though it will endure 

 drouth which would destroy most other fruit trees. There is no profit 

 in small, tough fruit. As stated in the chapter on irrigation the wood 



