PRUNING YOUNG TREES 239 



in the nursery has been allowed to remain in the crown. These 

 little fruit limbs will, during the second year of growth, blossom 

 and set some fruit. 



From now on the fruit spurs and fruit limbs may be left in the 

 crown of the tree, so they may grow and produce lemons in limited 

 quantities while the tree is young. Do not be alarmed if trees one 

 or two years old begin to bear. Let them get the habit while they 

 are young. A lemon tree properly trained and pruned, should bear 

 a fair crop when three years old. The little limbs will first blos- 

 som on the ends, bearing from one to three lemons. Then on the 

 limb, back toward the trunk of the tree, fruit spurs will develop 

 and set fruit. 



Tall limbs should be cut back from 6 to 12 inches, depending upon 

 the fruit line, or deck, a vertical growth of fruit limbs that will 

 blossom and set fruit on the ends, then bend downward, causing 

 fruit spurs to develop on them. Each year a new deck of fruit wood 

 or limbs is developed. This growth should be cut only when it be- 

 comes too thick. 



It is important to go over the two-year trees at least twice a year 

 to take all suckers and cut back the limbs that have grown out of 

 proportion to the other part of the tree; such growth is round and 

 not smaller than a lead pencil ; larger would be better. Never cut 

 angular wood. In some cases it will be necessary to take out entire 

 limbs if they have grown too thick, and also to cut those back that 

 have grown in the right place to add to the framework of the tree. 



Some of the tender growth will commence to develop rapidly 

 early in the spring of the fourth year, and so will have to be gone 

 over at least three times to thin out and cut back at proper points. 

 A lemon tree at this age, properly pruned and trained, should show 

 a well-defined fruit line. 



When a lemon tree reaches 10 or 12 years, very little cutting back 

 is necessary. Yet almost all of the vertical growth should be taken 

 out. A tree properly pruned from its infancy is brought to this age 

 without large stubby limbs near the top of the tree. This method 

 of pruning and training of a young lemon orchard will bring the 

 trees to full bearing age without any long bare limbs devoid of fruit 

 limbs and fruit spurs on the frame of the tree. Great care should 

 be taken not to allow the growth to become too thick. Sometimes 

 it may be necessary to take out a whole limb and open the tree to 

 let in the air and light, so the fruit-bearing wood in the interior of 

 the tree will bear fruit. The tendency is to allow much of the 

 growth to become woody and, therefore, to be wasted because it 

 will have to be taken out. Therefore, time will be lost in the proper 

 building of the frame of the tree and in the development of fruit- 

 bearing wood. 



191. Good rules in training and pruning young lemon trees. 

 1. Use sharp shears so as to make a smooth cut. 2. Never cut off 

 a limb over -^-inch thick with the shears. Use a sharp saw, smooth 



