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touched with the pruning knife on account of the mode of bearing 
of the tree. This is as follows:—The fruits are carried either 
singly or in pairs in the axils of the leaves, and they appear on 
the branch as growth proceeds. If a tree is examined after it has 
cast its leaves it is seen that all along the younger branches scars 
show where leaves grew the previous summer, At intervals, just 
over these scars, diminutive buds, which will in the spring constitute 
the first crop of figs, appear; while a pointed conical wood bud 
crowns the head of these branches. When spring comes the first 
crop of figs shows more plainly; the fruit hangs down from the 
branch without a leaf alongside of it. Further on the conical ter- 
minal shoot grows on and leaves come out around it; just in the 
axils of these leaves more diminutive buds also show, which, later 
in the summer, constitute the second crop of figs. In prolonged 
seasons the growth of terminal shoots, as well as of laterals, con- 
tinuing without interruption, may in this manner evolve even a 
third crop, but more generally the third crop remains dormant 
until the following early spring, and it is then a first crop again. 
It is thus seen that if laterals and terminals are cut back in the 
winter a proportion of the first crop is cut off, and this pruning 
leading to the growth of a greater number of laterals, these will 
produce a larger second crop proportionately with the number of 
young shoots which have burst into growth. No apparent flower 
is seen on the fig, those organs being hidden from view by the skin 
which covers them; as the fruit enlarges the blossoms expand, and 
when fertilised the seeds mature. 
Old fig trees which have grown in a distorted manner and re- 
quire rejuvenating are simply cut hard back to the height desired, 
and the numerous latent buds under the bark will, in the spring, 
start growing; these shoots should be thinned out to a few only. 
Large wounds should be dressed with some covering mixture. 
PRUNING THE OLIVE. 
The tree should be kept low by removing the centre leader, or 
else it will grow to a great height. Trained with a globular head, 
somewhat vase-shaped in the middle, permits of easier and more 
careful gathering of the fruit by hand, and a larger surface exposed 
to the sun and light. 
During the first year or two the main effort should consist in 
throwing all the vigour and energy of the young tree into one stem 
only. This is shortened to a height of three feet or so, and a head 
formed by allowing three to four branches to grow. Every shoot 
or branch not needed permanently is removed early to avoid in- 
flicting large wounds. Like all fruit trees, great expense is saved 
in gathering the crop by having the trees branched low; this also 
enables them to better resist high winds. 
