386 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



generally recognized that to produce the largest per cent 

 of good-sized and fancy lemons the tree must be intelli- 

 gently pruned. 



In the method of pruning (usually adopted) the main 

 object has been to shorten back and strengthen the scaf- 

 fold or main limbs, so that they will carry their load 

 nearer the center of the tree and be stocky and stiff 

 enough to withstand strong winds without swaying and 

 bruising the fruit. This method, properly carried out, 

 has produced good results. It has, however, caused a 

 tendency in the tree to form too thick and dense a head; 

 a tendency very hard to combat. Even when carefully 

 thinned out, trees shortened back in this way grow faster 

 in their tops than in their lateral branches, on the prin- 

 cipal that the sap flows most freely in vertical lines. The 

 result is apt to be a tree high and all top; and this top. 

 while beautiful to behold (to a "tenderfoot") is not fruit- 

 ful, but consists chiefly of rank-growing, vertical leaders, 

 commonly called suckers. These suckers are not supplied 

 with fruit spurs, and are as worthless as so much bam- 

 boo. Even did they bear fruit, it would be almost inac- 

 cessible, and expensive to pick. The lower limbs, natur- 

 ally the most fruitful, are robbed of sap by the superior 

 drawing powers of the top, and fail to do their duty. 



To overcome these difficulties the "open-center" style 

 of pruning has been tried, and has given good results 

 By eliminating the top entirely, the sap is thrown into 

 the lower branches. These limbs being horizontal rather 

 than vertical, and more or less bent, elaborate or digest 

 the sap and produce heavy crops of good-sized fruit. This 

 fruit, moreover, is within reach from the ground and can 

 be economically picked. When the tree is once adapted 

 to this form, the regular pruning is more easily and 



