406 



CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW Tl I I -;.\l 



bearing wood, low down. At the same time it must be remem- 

 bered that too severe cutting-back forces the growth of branches 

 which form only wood buds and fruiting is postponed. The secret 

 is to prune enough to induce plenty of new growth but not so 

 much excessive, non-bearing, new growth results. This result 

 is secured by regular and moderate pruning. 



I 



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Bearing Olive tree after pruning. The amount of thinning 

 can be estimated by the litter on the ground. 



Trees which have been allowed to form umbrella-like tops may 

 be brought down to business again by cutting back the main limbs 

 and making selection from the many new shoots which appear, 

 but by proper, regular pruning a tree can be so trained that the 

 removal of large limbs is seldom necessary. The times to prune 

 the olive are just after the gathering of the fruit or just before 

 new growth starts in the Spring. 



Developing the Vase Form. Explicit suggestions as to the 

 development of a low, vase-form tree may be helpful to inexperi- 

 enced growers. The following is from a foreign writer, whose 

 illustrations are presented herewith : 



