THE LEMON IN CALIFORNIA PRUNING. 



189 



u the alteration of old trees." As most of the lemon trees in 

 California are three years old or over, this paper will be con- 

 fined to a discussion of the method of altering old trees to 

 conform to the "open center" style. 



It is assumed that the trees to be altered are branched fairly 

 near the ground. If they haVe been up high no system of 

 pruning will bring the fruit within reach from the ground, but 

 to cut out the tops will save sap and make the lower limbs, 

 such as they are, more fruitful. 



Lemon tree pruned by the open-center method. 



Assuming, then, that the grower has trained his trees near 

 the ground, and has not caused the branches to grow up for 

 elephants to walk under, the method of procedure is as follows: 

 Draw an imaginary line around the outside of the tree, as high 

 up as a man can reach standing on a picking-box. All the 

 limbs that terminate above this line should be cut out. Cut 

 them oft' at their juncture with the limbs that terminate below 

 the imaginary line. The sketch on page 187 shows roughly 



