88 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



are usually brought about by the presence of small limbs, 

 water-sprouts, or fruit-spurs, which become diseased, and 

 which the germs follow till the main trunk or branch is 

 reached. Should the leader of a pyramidal tree be at- 

 tacked seriously enough to necessitate its removal, the 

 tree would be ruined, but by having several main branches 

 or trunks, one of them might be spared without seriously 

 crippling the tree. But the protection may be carried 

 still further by keeping the main branches of the vase- 

 shaped tree free of all small limbs and fruit-spurs which are 

 so susceptible to attacks of blight. In any event, one 

 important essential with the vase-form training consists 

 in keeping the center of the tree well supplied with good 

 bearing wood. 



Shaping the Newly Planted Tree 



The term "low-headed" is a relative one, but a top may 

 be considered low when the first branch is 30 inches 

 from the ground. Some of our successful growers prefer 

 higher heads than this, while others start them lower. 

 Our own preference is for a trunk about 20 inches in 

 height. But whatever height is determined on, the tree 

 must be cut back, preferably just after it has been planted. 



Should the tree be supplied with suitable limbs at the 

 point where the head is desired, three to five of them, 

 properly spaced, should be chosen to form the frame- 

 work of the tree. The others are removed. The selected 

 branches should then be shortened-in to a sound bud 

 within 12 or 14 inches of the main stem. But ordinarily 

 the lower branches are pruned off in the nursery, so that 

 we seldom secure a tree from which suitable branches 



