THE LEMON IN CALIFORNIA — PRUNING. 177 



encouragi' to go upward and not outward, as we are laying a 

 foundation for a heavy crop of fruit and we want to keep that 

 crop protected as much as possible by a mass of foliage, and 

 equally distributed through the tree and close to the stronger 

 or main branches. The object is to make the tree carry a full 

 crop, and that, too, without props or ropes, which are expensive, 

 take time and labor t.> put in place, besides being unsightly 

 and in the way. Moreover, the tree will be so compact in its 

 make-up that should we be located where subject to winds, the 

 resisting power of the tree will be much greater and losses of 

 fruit and breakage of branches very much lessened. The crop 

 of fruit will be found very largely on the inside of the tree, 

 insuring less sunburn or that unpleasant deep yellow color 

 on the side exposed, as is so general when the crop is allowed 

 to bear on the outside and at the extremities of the branches. 

 '■In this section (Ontario) there is a half-dormant season 

 during the months of February, March, and a part of April, 

 which I would consider the proper time for making our heavy 

 cutting. If it becomes necessary at any time, which may be 

 the case with young and thrift}' trees not yet in bearing, I have 

 before recommended pruning the lighter wood at the time of 

 picking the fruit, and experience has taught me that there is no 

 time when we can do pruning so effectuall_y. When this method 

 is followed we invaria)jly find a large amount of tlie fruit on 

 the inside of the tree, and on small, willow-like branches. 

 When the stronger growth has been kept in check, these smaller 

 branches are encouraged and live on, because they receive a 

 fair proportion of the tree sap, which would otherwise go to the 

 stronger parts, and if allowed, the smaller shoots, esijecially on 

 the inside, would die, and tlie inside of the tree would become 

 a scraggy mass of small, dry branches." 



*"The idea of growing as large a tree as possible in three or 

 four years, or until bearing age, must be reversed; must be done 

 by cutting back the tree when one year old and keeping it cut 

 back and thinned out until the growth is controlled. The 

 wood must never be cut on its first growth; let it become liard, 

 not less than two growths old. The older the wood the more 

 inclined to small fruit growth when cut back. The length to 

 leave depends altogether on size of wood and location of 



* J. W. Scott, in Covina Argus, OctoLer, 189.5. 



12c 



