gO CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



WORKING OVER OLD TREES 



Another operation which may be properly considered as a branch 

 of propagation is the working over of old trees. There is much of 

 this being done every year in this State. Old seedling trees are made 

 to bear improved varieties ; trees of varieties ill adapted to prevail- 

 ing conditions are changed into strong growing and productive 

 sorts; trees are changed from one fruit to another, when affinity 

 permits. This will be mentioned in the discussion of the different 

 fruits. Working over is also done to secure more valuable and mar- 

 ketable varieties, or to get a succession of varieties to secure a 

 longer working season in which to dispose of them. For all of these 

 reasons, and others, the work of the propagator is continually going 

 on even in our large bearing orchards. As with young trees, so 

 with old, transforming the character of the tree is done both by 

 budding and grafting. 



Budding Old Trees. To prepare an old tree for budding, cut 

 back the branches severely during the latter part of the winter, 

 which forces out new shoots around the head of the tree, and in these 

 the buds of the desired variety are set in the summer, just as is done 

 in building nursery stock, except that the budding should be done 

 rather earlier because the sap does not run as late. When the shoots 

 are budded, those being selected which are situated so as to give the 

 best symmetry to the new head, the shoots not budded are broken 

 a foot or so from where they emerge from the old wood, and are 

 allowed to hang until pruning time. At the winter pruning the 

 budding branches are topped off a little above the bud, and when 

 the new shoot starts it is often loosely tied to the stub of the old 

 branch to prevent breaking out in the wind. When it gets strength, 

 the stub is cut away smoothly to allow the wound to heal over. 



Another way is to insert the buds in the old bark at points where 

 it is desirable to have the new branches start. This is sometimes 

 done by lifting the bark, as in ordinary shield budding, and slipping 

 the bud under, sometimes by what is called plate budding, which 

 consists in removing a piece of the old bark entirely and putting in its 

 place a piece of bark of the desired variety, having upon it a dor- 

 mant bud. With plate budding it is necessary to be careful to 

 have the inserted bark just the size of the bared spot, and to wrap 

 it more closely than when the bud is slipped under the bark of the 

 stock. In all cases in budding old trees, care must be taken to get 

 fully-matured buds, and it is well to take them from large shoots, 

 which have a thicker and firmer bark than may be used in budding 

 nursery stock. It is also desirable to be very sure that the buds are 

 taken not only from a tree of the desired variety, but from a healthy, 

 vigorous and free-bearing tree of that variety. 



Grafting Old Trees. Old trees are also renewed by grafting. 

 Phis is most generally done by the old process of "top grafting." 

 The main stem or the larger branches are cut square off, and the 

 scions, usually two, but four or more if in the trunk, are shaped and 

 set into clefts in the stock as shown in the engraving. It is better 



