( I02 ) 



ftiethod of pruning (breaking) shoots is nothing sort of the 

 spur pruning of the fruiting shoots and quite similar to those 

 commonly practised on the fruiting canes of vines- grown under 

 glass. 



As you are aware, the Kaki tree has a similarity as to the 

 habit of fruiting to the vines. It bears on the leaf-axiles of 

 rather stronger shoots of the current year growth, which start 

 from a few well-matured, plump buds i>ear the apex of the 

 mother shoot. That is, flowers are borne at most on the four 

 nodes, from third to sixth from the base of the shoot. Weak, 

 spur-like shoots are always sterile, while extravagant shoots 

 of excessive vigor also have no fruit. Generally speaking, 

 well-matured shoots of moderate length which have been 

 sterile in the current year alone, are privileged to start fruit- 

 ing shoots in the following year. Thus, we have to depend 

 only upon the well-matured shoots and aim to produce such 

 kinds of shoots as much as possible. • 



By this reason, renewed pruning or at least the breaking 

 of shoots is of significance in the successful growing of Kaki 

 trees. 



Of late years, Mr. Yoshioka has brought out his second 

 method of pruning by which better results have always been 

 obtained. It consists of breaking the mother twig from which 

 several fruiting shoots start. It differs from his first method 

 only in severing the system of those shoots, not every fruiting 

 -shoot. By this process, shoots starting from the remaining 

 parts grow more vigorously and improved results are always 

 obtained by such a severe process rather than the former method. 



By such means, the habit of alternate year fruiting is not 

 corrected. Thinning fruits, in this case, answers well to cor- 

 rect this defective habit and let them bear uniformly every year. 



In the vicinity of Tokio, are found its growing centres. 

 Among them, two villages, Komae and Noborito, have long 

 since co-operated in a curious manner to lessen and regulate 

 the yield in order to avoid glut in the market. Owing to the 



