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This illustration gives a general idea of the growth and pruning 

 of young apple, plum, pear and apricot trees. 



Peach trees should be pruned in about the same way, but as 

 they grow faster, a larger top will be obtained in the same time. 

 Citrus trees need little pruning for the first six years, but let them 

 branch about two feet from the ground and shape the top a little, 

 cutting back any branches which become too prominent. 



As the deciduous trees grow older, less pruning will be required, 

 but they must be kept cut down to any height or shape desired. 

 The tree should be kept low enough for convenient care and fruit 

 picking but not so low that, to obtain the desired size of the top 

 they will become too wide, and thus interfere with cultivation. 

 The shape of the tree can often be corrected by weighting down 

 the branches on the side of light growth, thus making them more 

 spreading. The checking of the upward growth also stimulates 

 fruit production. 



Unthrifty trees of all kinds should be severely pruned, as the 

 more new wood can be grown into the top the better, but they 

 should be well fertilized at the same time. 



Winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees and wood 

 growth is stimulated thereby more than by work done in the sum- 

 mer, but fall pruning of citrus trees produces wood, while spring 

 pruning stimulates fruit production. 



A tree bearing only on alternate years can often be induced to 

 bear better crops on the "off" years by severe pruning and the 

 thinning of the fruit, on fruitful years. Good habits in trees as in 

 people can be much promoted by proper training when young. 



In this climate, the tops of the deciduous trees should not be 

 much thinned out but should be kept compact, as much of the 

 fruit is produced in the center of the tree. The branches also 

 are kept stocky and strong to bear up the fruit, and vigorous 

 new growth produced by outside pruning shades the fruit and 

 prevents sunburn, especially of apricots. 



Citrus trees, however, produce the best results when well thinned 

 out after the age of six or seven years, so that the foliage and 

 fruit will be nearly all on the outside of the tree; and on any 

 kind of a tree, a dead or useless branch should be removed. This 

 especially applies to sucker growths. These are vigorous, upright 

 shoots, springing up through the center of the trees like a new 

 tree starting up from a branch. They are useless and in their 

 growth use nourishment which should go to the support of the 

 tree. Cut them off close to the parent branch as soon as noticed. 



