Renewal of Old Apricot Trees. 207 
of brush near the ends of long bare limbs. Such trees need: 
renewal of the top by vigorous winter pruning, which should 
} 
5%, 
Old Apricot Trees at Pomona Renewed by Pruning. 
preferably be done toward the close of the dormant season rather 
than early in the winter as formerly. Old and unprofitable trees 
have been reclaimed in this way. _ 
Winter pruning is still the regular method in some parts of 
the State where the conditions do not favor excessive growth of 
the tree and where summer pruning does not seem to be called 
for. The practise is to remove half or two-thirds of the new 
growth and thin out, by removing entirely enough new and old 
wood to prevent the tree from becoming thick and brushy. 
THINNING THE APRICOT. 
All free-fruiting varieties of the apricot must be thinned to 
secure size acceptable to purchasers. It is the experience of the 
oldest growers that though thinning is an expensive operation, 
it is very profitable. When half the fruit is taken off in thin- 
ning, the remainder reaches as large aggregate weight as though 
the whole were allowed to mature, and the thinned fruit is worth 
about twice as much per pound. Even if less weight is secured, 
and in most cases the purpose should be to get less weight, 
the tree is spared the exhaustion of overbearing and the owner 
