PRUNING CITRUS TREES. 379 



done immediately, but the injured twigs and branches 

 may be broken out after they become dry. 



In cases where the trees have been severely injured, 

 so as to leave but little of the trunk, it is best to cut it off 

 at the ground. Grafts may be inserted or sprouts allowed 

 to develop, to be budded when they have attained suffi- 

 cient size. But on the other hand, if a considerable por- 

 tion of the trunk still remains uninjured, the upper por- 

 tion only should be cut away. Just below the line of 

 division between the sound and the frozen wood, is the best 

 place to cut, but unfortunately it cannot be definitely 

 located; hence, each must use his own judgment in decid- 

 ing where to cut. The best plan is probably to wait until 

 sprouts start and then cut back below the top ones to 

 where they are healthy, strong and vigorous. The usual 

 tendency is to leave too much old wood; the heart wood 

 rots away, leaving nothing but a shell, frequently so thin 

 and weak that the branches which develop upon it break 

 down when they become loaded with fruit. Wiring must 

 be resorted to to support them and even this is not always 

 successful. 



Where sprouts are slow in starting, the removal 

 of the earth from about the crown and crown roots will 

 hasten them. Good cultivation, loosening and opening 

 the soil will also assist in bringing them forward. 



It has been repeatedly demonstrated that there is a 

 distinct relation between the size of the trunk and its re- 

 sistance to cold. Small trees suffer much more severely 

 than large ones. For this reason a single trunk from each 

 frozen back tree is desirable. A scheme frequently adop- 

 ted is to allow one good strong sprout to develop in the 

 trunk, and inarch a number of others into it. At most, no 

 more than two or three sprouts should be allowed to de- 



