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branches in gathering the crop, or pruning off the young growth, 

 will make the tree barren the following season. 



The best time for pruning is after the severe winter frosts are 

 over, and just before the sap begins to rise in the spring. In this 

 country, however, where ground frost only is experienced, pruning 

 can be done at any time in the winter, provided care is taken to 

 coat any fresh wound with the gum shellac varnish, or a thin paste 

 made of cow dung and clay. 



CITRUS TREES. 



Citrus trees, which are evergreen, unlike deciduous trees, are 

 not subjected to methodical annual pruning. 



If the growth from the bud in the nursery is sufficiently vigor- 

 ous, the young plant is headed back to 20 to 24 inches, and the 

 crown is formed from a few well-placed laterals three only by pre- 

 ference growing symmetrically around the stump, at an interval of 

 two or three inches from each other, so as to ward against the danger 

 of splitting when the tree begins to bear heavily. Should, on the 

 other hand, the growth in the nursery have failed to permit of the 

 head being formed there, the tree is cut back at planting to a lesser 

 height, and shaped as if dealing with a deciduous tree. As in the 

 case of other trees, one stem alone should be allowed to grow. The 

 object to aim at is to train a low-headed, stocky tree, with a short 

 stem and a globular head, which shelters well the trunk, the main 

 limbs, as well as the superficial roots of the tree. The knife and 

 pruning saw should be used more sparingly on trees of the citrus 

 tribe than on deciduous trees. Hank water shoots and dead or dying 

 branches should be removed, as well as branches which cross and rub. 

 If the branches grow too thickly in the centre a judicious thinning 

 out is necessary to allow light and air to penetrate freely amongst 

 them. This is done by cutting off small leafy twigs, which grow in 

 the crotches of branches, as well as over the main and secondary 

 arms. Trees thus thinned out afford less shelter and hiding place 

 to scale insects and spores of fungoid diseases, which are thus kept 

 in check. When sprayed or fumigated the spraying liquid or the 

 deadly gas penetrate more readily the mass of foliage. Large 

 wounds should be well pared off with the knife, and coated with 

 white lead, gum shellac varnish, clay, or some other ointment. 



The young tree is planted with its roots very shallow, or else 

 gumming and canker of the wood at the collar will supervene and 

 destroy it. The stem is tied up to a stake, all shoots below the bud 

 are rubbed off, as well as those above the bud to a height of nine to 

 twelve inches from the ground, and the head consisting of three or 

 four shoots, allowed to grow freely so as to strengthen the stem as 

 well as the root sjstem. Long rank shoots, often seen, more 

 especially on lemon trees, are pinched hard back so as to favour the 

 growth of laterals and balance the head of the tree. 



