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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



This vase form dispenses with the central stem or trunk at a 

 certain short distance above the ground, but this is not done for the 

 purpose of securing a hollow or open-center tree, which is a leading 

 characteristic of the old European vase form. The few branches 

 which are desired to grow from the short stem are pruned when the 

 tree is young to induce successive branching with short interspaces. 

 At each cutting the aim is to get two branches from one, and nearly 

 as possible of equal vigor, so the California tree does not, except, of 

 course, in occasional instances, show the outline of a leader from 

 the bottom to the top, but there is a succession of branchings, turned 

 this way or that by the skillful pruner, occupying available air 

 space, distributing the weight so it comes more nearly over the cen- 

 ter of gravity and at the same time knitting the fibers of the branch 

 so that the weight of the fruit is well sustained. This idea, however, 

 is not allowed to go so far as to wholly close the 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 naturally expands 

 the top quite enough to admit the sunlight without exposing either 

 the fruit or the branches to danger of burning. Thus it appears that 

 instead of the true vase or 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 believed that this many-branching form, developed 

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



Pruning for branch spacing 



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from each beginning marked for firs, winter pruntag. 



