STATE HOHTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 89 



Pruning — The peach does not fruit on spurs like most other fruit 

 trees, but on wood of the previous years' growth, therefore needs dif- 

 ferent treatment in pruning, and a great deal more of it than any other 

 fruit that we grow, but usually gets very much less. Fruiting only 

 on the previous years' growth, it becomes necessary to so prune as 

 to retain the small twigs in the center of the tree, which, by the or- 

 dinary methods of training and pruning, or non-pruniug, are smoth- 

 ered out by the excessive growth at the extremities of the limbs, and 

 the fruit is all borne on the ends of the limbs where the leverage is 

 so great as to break down the trees, and is hard to get at to be 

 picked. There should be no more limbs allowed to grow than will 

 permit the light of the sun to reach all the fruit on the tree. 



The essential point in the management of peach trees is to re- 

 tain the small twigs all along the limbs clear back to the stems. 

 This is accomplished by leaving the head open as above indicated, 

 and by cutting back at least a^ part of the previous season's growth 

 to start stubs of an inch in length, so as to induce a new growth of 

 twigs. If the first buds are all killed, it is best to cut all of the 

 previous season's growth off in this manner. If the trees fruit, only 

 a part need be cut back in this manner, always cutting out the 

 largest and leaving the smaller ones to fruit. These fruiting twigs 

 should not be nearer together than ten inches. 



By pruning in this manner the tree is able to bear a heavier 

 crop of fruit without breaking down and the fruit will be larger and 

 better colored than it is usually grown. Each peach, having plenty 

 room, sunlight and leaves to nourish it, will be like the ones found in 

 the tops as ordinarily treated. 



The following varieties proved hardy and bore good crops for 

 me in 1888: Amelia, L. E. York, Family Favorite, Gen. Lee, Thur- 

 ber, Chinese Cling, Vangant Cling, Shiple's Late Red, Great Western, 

 Park's Late, Sack's Cling and Smock. 



Tender varieties: Mountain Rose, Reeve's Favorite, Brandy wine, 

 Natnicoke, Crawford's Early and Late, Wheatland. 



Mr. Goodrich — Have you a certain system that you follow up 

 year after year in pruning ? 



Mr. Riehl — Yes; if you neglect to trim annually, you will have 

 long rambling shoots without any laterals to bear fruit. 



Mr. Webster — I find that my northern customers think they 

 could run a peach orchard much better than we do, but I think one 

 or two year's experience would cure them of that notion. The tree 

 is liable to split all to pieces under the load of fruit. It is impossi- 

 ble to get hands with enough intelligence to properly gather the 



