100 



1916 ANNUAL REPORT 



other individual characteristics, the examples given being merely repre- 

 sentative. 



In pruning to form a proper frame work, these traits must all be 

 taken into consideration. One variety will need heavy pruning to hold 

 back the tall growth, while another may have to be constantly checked to 

 keep it from producing long willow-like branches that will droop to the 

 ground. We hear of varieties being impossible on account of their 

 growth. This may be so in extreme cases, but beautifully shaped and 

 well balanced trees can be found in nearly every variety. The avocado 

 requires attention just as any other orchard tree, if we desire to produce 

 a frame which is resistant to wind, well formed to hold a large crop and 

 to give the grestest possible bearing surface. For example the Blake- 

 man, if allowed to follow its natural habit, will be irregular, long 

 branched and exposed to sunburn. When the branches are about two 

 feet in length, they should be cut back to three good buds, leaving about 

 18 inches of limb. This pruning will usually send out two well spaced 

 branches and these in turn can be headed, resulting in a strong frame- 

 work well protected by its foliage and having a bearing surface three 

 times as large as an unpruned tree. 



In some varieties, it is absolutely 

 necessary to top the young bud and 

 force branching at the proper height. 

 When this is done, care should be used 

 to select an undeveloped bud and not 

 one which has started to form a limb. 

 If a limb bud is chosen, the terminal 

 growth is entirely stopped, and the cen- 

 ter of the tree exposed to sunburn. 

 Much of the preliminary pruning should 

 be done in the nursery or at the time 

 the trees are balled for transplanting 

 to the orchard. Trees properly pruned 

 with well spaced branches forming a 

 head from 20 to 30 inches above the 

 bud, will need no further attention 

 until a full season's growth has been 

 made. 



r I desire to mention a question of 



Qrowth pei'iod i"^PO^tance pertaining to the bearing 

 ^ surface of our orchard trees — to what 



height should we allow the tree to 

 grow before completely checking the 

 Figure ii.-,Diagramatic skMch, terminal growth? The tree produces 

 showing general type of desir- a series of limbs or what IS called a 

 fa'%rnI*a™caarTJee.''%t! cycle of growth or growth period, then 

 cussed by Mr. Barber under f^^^ to a dozen dormant buds 



methods of pruning and head- , , . « t i j 



ing. followed by another series of limbs and 



so on. (Fig. 11). Our frame work 

 can be built from one or more of these series of branches. My investi- 



