260 LUTHER BURBANK 



By the time the buds in a neighbor's prune 

 orchard were ready for use, the young almond 

 trees were also ready. Toward the last of June, 

 and in July and August, a large force of budders 

 were employed in placing the French prune buds 

 on the almond stalks. 



After about ten days, when the buds had thor- 

 oughly united with the stalk, the tops of the 

 young trees were broken over about eight inches 

 from the ground; great care being exercised not 

 to break them entirely off, but only to break the 

 top down and still keep it alive. 



If the top is broken or cut entirely off, the 

 young trees are about certain to die. This is a 

 mistake which many nurserymen make in trying 

 to grow June buds, but by bending the tops over 

 and leaving them on, none of the trees die, and 

 the buds start much better than by any other 

 plan. 



Soon the young prune buds began to burst 

 forth. These were carefully tied up alongside 

 the stalk, and when they were a foot or more in 

 height the old almond top was wholly cut away. 



By December first, about 19,500 of the trees 

 were ready for the planter; the others were fur- 

 nished the next season. 



Mr. Dutton was greatly pleased, as he had 

 been told by all other nurserymen that it was 



