The Third Season. 

 The head of the tree has 



broadened out and 

 it has numerous fruit 



bearing laterals. 



This is a result of proper 



pruning. 



the roots into this, and give no further concern about their 

 drying out even if exposed to the direct rays of the sun for 

 a short period. 



Before planting cut off all bruised and lacerated roots and 

 make a fresh cut on all other roots, so they have a smooth 

 clean surface. The tree when planted should not stand over 

 three inches deeper than it stood in the nursery row. Never 

 neglect to settle the earth around the trees with not less than 

 fifteen gallons of water. After the water has soaked away 

 fill in with fine soil without tramping. No greater mistake 

 can be made than to wait for rain or for water to be turned 

 into the irrigating ditches. After the tree is planted, cut 

 back to twenty inches from the ground, and cover the wound 

 with rubber paint, or grafting wax. 



The first winter cut the branches of the one year trees back 

 to about twelve inches, leaving not, more than four to make 

 the head of a tree. Have these distributed in such a manner 

 that there will be sufficient room for them to expand without 

 crowding as the tree grows older. The second season cut not 

 less than two-thirds of the new growth, leaving not more 

 than two shoots on each of the frame work branches. Any 

 branches on the underside of the limbs having a tendency 

 to droop to the ground should be removed. The third 

 season shorten in the new growth about half, leaving the 

 same multiple of branches on each of the previous year's 

 shoots as were left the year before. In after years the prun- 

 ing is limited to the removal of branches which cross or 

 interfere with each other and checking the growth of 

 branches making an excessive growth. Young trees should 

 always be protected with tree protectors to prevent sunburn. 

 The fig tree is just as responsive to good care, thorough 

 cultivation, as any other variety of fruit tree, and the bearing 

 capabilities will be commensurate with the care bestowed on 

 the trees while young. But very little fruit is to be expected 

 till the trees are four years old. 



CROP SURE 1VO FAILURES 



The absolute certainty of the crop is indicated by the policy 

 pursued, in many sections of California, by the packers of 

 dried figs who make it a practice to purchase the entire 

 output of an orchard extending over a period of years at a 

 fixed annual sum. The prices paid depend largely on the 

 size of the trees, and range from $1.00 to $5.00 per tree. 

 It is no unusual thing for these contracts to involve sums 

 as high as $5000.00 per annum. The contractors assume all 

 the expense of harvesting, the grower merely prunes and 

 cultivates his orchard under this arrangement. The very fact 

 that our importations of Smyrna Fig are constantly increas- 

 ing, the annual amount averaging not far from 13,000 tons, 

 is in itself sufficient indication of the possibilities in store 

 for the building up of a great industry under the favorable 

 condtions presented in many sections of our Pacific Coast 

 States. 



Talk about living, or rather luxuriating, under your own 

 vine and fig tree beneath our balmy skies; if this is not a 

 truism expressing the delight of going beak to the soil in 

 the glorious climate of California, what is? 



For detailed information giving concise and explicit direc- 

 tions as to caprification. curing, etc., -write for a cony of 

 "Roedlng'a Practical Horticulture," entitled "The Fig." 



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