60 



THE ORANGE, 



Two Systems of Peuning.— There are 

 two systems in vogue, one known as high 

 pruning, the other as low pruning. Low 

 pruning is resorted to with lemons and 

 the dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties of 

 budded oranges. It consists simply in 

 forming the head of the tree close to the 

 ground— say within a foot or two of the 

 surface — and modeling the growth some- 

 what after a shrub. The high system 

 prunes away the branches near the 

 ground, exposing the trunk and forming 

 a conventional tree top. This method is 

 emploj^ed with nearly all seedling trees 

 that grow to the standard size, and with a 

 considerable portion of the lemons and 

 budded oranges. 



The Low System. — The advantages 

 claimed for this method of pruning are— 



1st. That the head of the tree being 

 brought close to the ground, the picking 

 of the fruit is greatly facilitated. 



2d. That the trunk is closely shaded, 

 thereby preyenting sunburn and other 

 evils coming from too much exposure to 

 the weather. 



3d. That the soil immediately about the 

 tree is shaded and the moisture thus pre- 

 served. 



With this method of pruning also the 

 branches are usually "shortened in" and 

 this results in a fourth advantage in that 

 the fruit is borne closer to the body of the 

 tree, and the branches being rendered 

 stocky from the cutting back, are not like- 

 ly to break down with their burden. The 

 tree with low head and shortened branch- 

 es needs no props in the fruiting season. 

 This method of low pruning is much em- 

 ployed at Riverside, in San Bernardino 

 county, where many of our most progress- 

 ive orange growers are to be found. The 

 exemplification there given must certain- 

 ly convince one of its advantages in the 

 respects claimed. For semi-dwarf and 

 dwarf-budded orange trees, low pruning 

 is the system I would recommend. The 

 objection usually urged against it is the 

 difficulty of working close to the tree with 

 the cultivator, by reason of the low-hang- 

 ing branches. This can be obviated by 

 choosing a cultivator to meet the special 

 requirements. An evil to be guarded 

 against is the thickening of the top — the 

 great multiplication of branches as a re- 

 ult of the shortening process . 



This diflBlculty may be overcome by a 

 free use of the knife, keeping the top open 

 enough to admit a circulation of air, and 

 the tree will then be as healthy as though 

 the top were four or five feet higher and 

 proportionately broader. In the case of 

 lemons, the theory has been advanced 

 that they bear much better with low prun- 

 ing than with high, as this manner of 

 growth must closely conform to the natu- 

 ral habit of the tree. It should be borne 

 in mind that low pruning does not con- 

 template an abandonment of the tree to its 

 own sweet will and way in growing. 

 Neither is it allowable to leave suckers 

 from the roots or water sprouts from the 

 lower trunk. As close and careful atten- 

 tion is required in low pruning as in high. 



High Pruning — Young Stock, — In 

 pruning young stock by the high system 

 it is well to make haste slowly— ^■. e., cut 

 away the lower branches only as the tree 

 thickens its stock and throws its vitality 

 into the upper top. It is conceded that 

 about the proper proportion for a standard 

 tree is two-thirds top and one-third stock. 

 With quite young trees the proportion of 

 top may be greater than this with good 

 advantage. Lateral branches growing close 

 to the ground have a tendency to thicken 

 the stock and make it upright and self- 

 sustaining. Above all, avoid trimming 

 young trees up to mere switches, with just 

 a tuft of leaves at the top. There can "be 

 no more certain method of making them 

 crooked and weakly. As good a general 

 rule as I can lay down is, to keep the tree 

 well proportioned and symmetrical at all 

 stages of its growth. After the first year 

 in orchard, the two-thirds rule as regards 

 the top may be closely followed. The 

 main forks of the tree may be established 

 at the height of four to six feet from the 

 ground with seedlings and at three to four 

 feet with budded varieties. Remember 

 that the trunk of the tree grows but very 

 little longitudinally and that the height of 

 the top must be regulated by cutting away 

 the lower branches. If a standard tree is 

 properly and reasonably pruned, the con- 

 tour of the top when viewed from a dis- 

 tance will be not unlike the almost perfect 

 sphere of the fruit it bears. 



