446 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



are selected and all others removed. Do not remove small branches and 

 small spurs. These shade the tree. The three chosen branches should be 

 about a foot apart and well distributed around the tree. Tf more than 

 three branches are chosen, the tree becomes too spreading and the branches 

 will later come down and become a nuisance. The three chosen branches 

 should be headed to about three or four feet in length. 



At the end of the second year's growth each of these three main 

 branches will have thrown out from four to eight branches. All but two 

 on each of these should be removed. These two should be headed to three 

 or four feet from their origin and they should be in such a position so that 

 their tips are equally distant from the center of the tree to secure an open 

 center. After the third season's growth, each of the six branches is al- 

 lowed to give rise to two branches and these two are headed back. Many 

 small branches and fruiting spurs will have appeared all over the trees. 

 These should be left. Heading back is very necessary at this time. The 

 tree will have thrown out an immense amount of growth, and unless this is 

 previously thinned and headed, the wind will either cause the tree to lean 

 or else blow out large limbs completely. In pruning old trees the chief 

 aim is to admit the sunlight; remove interfering limbs and limbs that in- 

 terfere with cultivation. Generally every tree will fall into one of three 

 types. These are the central shaft, vertical gore and goblet types. 



If a tree has a strong central leader, the chief aim is to emphasize this 

 tendency. Thin out the branches which arise from the central leader. If 

 a tree has a central leader and the main limbs originate one above the 

 other, the best way to admit the light is by removing the smaller limbs in 

 several wedge-shaped areas from the lower branches up. If four gores are 

 cut, the tree would have the appearance of a four-leafed clover when viewed 

 from a position above the tree. It will be necessary to thin out all weak 

 wood in the areas between the gores. If there is no central leader and 

 the tree has naturally an open center, this should be kept open. 



In shaping the walnut tree, such opening of the tree as is de- 

 sirable near the coast may be undesirable or even dangerous in a 

 hot interior situation. The bark is sensitive to sunburn and in ex- 

 treme heat both leaves and nuts suffer and a more dense and self- 

 shading tree should be developed. This will be secured in part by 

 the style of pruning and in part by selection of a tree which nat- 

 urally grows good foliage. 



Bloom and Bearing of the Walnut. The walnut has its stam- 

 inate and pistillate blooms separate, but both occur on the same 

 tree. Successful fruiting depends upon the appearance of these two 

 forms of bloom, without too great interval of time, and although 

 there seems to be quite a retention of vitality, the lack of bearing 

 of some varieties has been found to be due to the fact that the cat- 

 kins disappear too long before the pistillate bloom was sufficiently 

 developed to receive the pollen. 



The bearing age of the walnut depends upon the variety. Some 

 of the French varieties are very precocious and have borne fruit 

 in nursery row at two and three years old, but the pistillate blooms 

 were then fertilized from catkins growing on older trees. The 

 practical bearing age of the seedling English walnut in this State 

 may be rated at six to eight years, according to the variety. Trees 

 grafted with scions from bearing trees fruit much sooner. 



Harvesting Walnuts. Gathering walnuts is done in different 



ys borne gather them from the ground at intervals during the 



months of September and October; others use poles and clean the 



