Peaches in Western New York. 



367 



its top at will with no heading in. The foliage is comparatively 

 light and does not place great weight upon the branches, and the 

 trees, upon such lands, do not grow quickly to such great size as 

 upon heavy lands. This method of allowing a tree to make its 

 natural top, is the common one in the Chesapeake peninsula (Fig. 

 4) and in the Michigan peach belt (Figs, i, 2, 3). It will be 





M 



% 



3. I'ase-forni trees, six years pla)i led, {Michigan.) 



observed, also, that the pictures to which I have referred show 

 trees with short trunks and forking branches. It is a prevalent 

 opinion in this state that such trees are more likely to split down 

 with loads of fruit than those which have more horizontal 

 branches (as in Figs. 5 and 6), but I think this to be an error. 

 Of course, some care should be exercised to see that the branches 

 do not start off from the trunk at exactly the same height, thus 

 making a true fork or Y. With this precaution, the crotchy trees 

 are no more likely to split than the others, while they allow of a 

 much better form of top, unless the tree is to be headed in. I 

 have taken particular pains this year to observe the breaking of 

 loaded peach trees, and I find that the limbs much oftener break 



