CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



89 



As a result of his experience Mr. Hart stated that it was not 

 well to generalize too much on the amount of pruning. ''No two 

 varieties," he said, "grow the same. I have som^ething like fifteen 

 A^arieties on my place." Some of the varieties he pruned very little 

 and they developed in good shape. Others throw out such long 

 branches that they leave the trunk exposed to be sunburned. Such 

 trees must be pruned. He said his experience of the effect of prun- 

 ing was very much in accord with that of Mr. Coolidge— prune a 

 tree while growing and there is little chance of die back. His obser- 

 vation has led him to do his pruning in the early spring after the 

 sap has come up and the tree has started to grow, but in advance 

 of the summer heat. This method enables the tree to protect itself 

 from the sun. Mr. Hart advocates pruning, preferably in the spring, 

 or about the time of fall when the weather is cooler and the tree 

 is still growing from the warmth in the ground. He considers it 

 extremely necessary to prune some varieties in order to protect 

 them and shape them up. 



IRRIGATION 



That the avocado needs thorough irrigation, even more per- 

 haps than citrus trees, is an opinion expressed by Mr. Coolidge. He 

 mentioned a four-year-old tree planted near a large hydrant from 

 which water is taken for a considerable amount of nursery stock. 

 Every two weeks that tree is flooded, and it produced 150 fruits 

 this year. He stated that other trees of the same variety and prac- 

 tically the same age, planted near, but with less irrigation, were 

 about two-thirds the size and much less vigorous, and that they 

 produced not more than two-thirds as much fruit as the flooded 

 tree. He believes that trees growing in light, sandy soil cannot 

 get too much water in the growing season. 



Mr. Knight planted a number of trees on a corner of one acre 

 and gave them a double portion of water. These trees, he said, 

 were planted in the summer, during the hot months, and Avere irri- 

 gated twice a week. His irrigation is done by means of tanks and 

 the best tree is the one with the biggest tank. Mr. Knight stated 

 the trees on the corner, receiving double portions of water, shoAved 

 best results. His soil is a clay loami. 



Mr. Whedon agreed with Mr. Coolidge and Mr. Knight as to 

 copious irrigation in some soils, but referring to his OAvn soil said 



