206 Pruning the Apricot. 
The pruning of the second year should be done in January, as the tree 
will not be dormant until then, if it has been kept in a thrifty condition. 
The first year’s growth should be cut back to within five to ten inches of 
the body of the tree, and all forks should be cut out, even if it necessitates 
forming a new head, as it is much better to lose some growth on a young 
fe than to take the risk of splitting down when the tree begins to bear 
ruit. 
When the shoots start for the second year’s growth, take off all that 
come on the under side of the limbs and thin to one, two, or three, as may be 
needed to balance the tree, bearing in mind that an apricot tree always 
inclines toward the coast breezes in this locality. 
The second year will require much more attention than the first year, 
in order to keep offsuckers and ail lateral growth that may start on the 
under side of the new limbs, the object being to make the limbs grow as 
nearly upright as possible. The remark on heading back holds good for the 
second year also. 
The trees will become dormant earlier the second year than they did the 
first, but should not be trimmed earlier than December, and a month later 
is preferable, as the ends of the limbs are not exposed to the drying winds 
so long before the sap begins to flow, and consequently will heal over bet- 
ter. The second year’s growth should now be cut back to within fifteen to 
twenty inches of the old wood, except the central stem, which may be left 
twenty-four to thirty inches long, depending on the number of laterals it 
may have thrown out. When the new shoots start they should again be 
thinned down to two or three on each limb, and all taken off that tend to 
turn down or out at right angles, but do not take off the fruit spurs. 
The trees will need to be gone over about three times before July to 
remove suckers and lateral growth that may start on the lower side of the 
limbs, as the tendency in the third year is to make an immense growth 
of downward laterals, and these must be taken off so as to develop wood 
that is to be left for fruit. If the orchard is on good land and has been 
properly irrigated and cultivated,the trees should now be large enough to 
begin to yield fruit. The object in trimming during the first two years and 
the first half of the third year has been to growa vigorous upright tree, with 
strong limbs, capable of carrying a heavy load of large fruit, and to get the 
fruit as close to the body of the tree as possible. 
There will be a few specimensof the fruit the third year, and as soon 
as these are gathered the trees should be summer pruned for the first time, 
care being taken that the land shall have been allowed to become mod- 
erately dry so that the trees may be partially dormant. If the downward 
growth of the laterals has been kept cut off, all that remains to be done is to 
cut off about one-half of all this season’s growth all over the tree, using the 
same judgment as before with reference to prevailing winds and symmetry 
of tree. If this is properly done and water at once turned on the orchard, 
a new growth will be made and the fruit buds for next year fully developed. 
The only pruning necessary in the following winter will be to take out 
any cross limbs and sprouts that may have been overlooked in the summer. 
After the trees begin to produce regular crops they will not grow so 
vigorously, and the numerous prunings of the first three years will not be 
necessary, as almost all can be done by summer pruning until the trees get 
so old that they need the old wood taken out. This can be more readily 
done without damage to the trees where from 24 to 30 limbs are grown, 
than in the old method of leaving only eight or ten large limbs. 
When it becomes necessary to take out old wood—as the best fruit 
grows on new wood—a few limbs can be taken out each year until a full 
top of new wood is again made. 
Winter Pruning.—The evident defect of many old apricot 
orchards is the failure of the low-bearing wood and the thicket 
