The Growing of Peaches 1729 



During the dormant season after the first year's growth we 

 prune to estahlisli tlie form of tree we desire. With us this is the 

 open, bell-shaped tree, as near the ground as we can get it. We 

 desire it as low as possible because it is more easily pruned, more 

 readily sprayed and the fruit is more conveniently picked from 

 the low tree. We like the open, bell-shape because it is the form 

 of low tree which is up out of the way when we are cultivating 

 in the spring. It protects the buds from late frosts and, when 

 opened out by the weight of the crop places the fruit grown from 

 those same buds out in the open, in the sun during the day and 

 the cool air during the night, the two main factors in producing 

 highly colored fruit. 



PRUNING 



To obtain this form we go to the tree that has had one year's 

 growth, and select from three to five of the branches near the 

 ground, the number varying somewhat according to variety. All 

 branches above these are removed by cutting oft" the original stem 

 just above the top one selected. This gives us the form of the 

 tree and all future pruning is simply keeping this center open, 

 removing all branches which turn down to the ground and keeping 

 small branches thinned out to the proper thickness. During the 

 second and third summers if the trees are making very vigorous 

 growth some of the pruning is done in July. This is done to 

 check wood growth and stimulate the formation of fruit bnds. 

 While making use of this valuable principle, it must be done with 

 great care and judgment. It should never be done to a bearing 

 tree, or a non-bearing tree that is not making a heavy, vigorous 

 growth. In such cases, all pruning is done during the dormant 

 season, thereby stimulating wood growth. A goodly amount of 

 wood growth is always necessary, since all fruit is borne on the 

 wood grown the previous year. On this account it is frequently 

 necessary to do considerable winter cutting in old trees so as to 

 produce enough new wood to keep up the bearing surface. 



CULTURAL METHODS 



During the first two years hoed crops such as tomatoes, po- 

 tatoes, melons, peas and beans are planted among the trees and 

 the fertilizers and cultivation given the hoed crops are sufficient 

 to keep the trees growing vigorously. Leguminous cover crops 



