290 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



tant part assigned to me. My embarrassmeut is no little increased by the fact 

 that in maintaining my notions on this subject I am compelled to put myself 

 in opposition to my very intelligent friend, Mr. Dyckman, one of Michigan's 

 most distinguished poraologists, and the honored ex-President of this Society. 



THE "WAYS OF NATUEE. 



I do not "discard the shortening-in system," as does Mr. Dyckman. I can- 

 not accept his belief " that Nature knows where to place the termination of a 

 limb better than we do." 



The best results in pomology are not attained by allowing nature to have 

 her own way. If mere quantity of fruit only was desired, the vine-dresser 

 might lay aside his pruning shears and abandon his trellis and posts; the 

 small-fruit culturist could cease his efforts to grow stocky canes of raspberries 

 and blackberries, with strong, low-running laterals, capable of winter protec- 

 tion. No doubt a grape vine that has gained sunlight in the top branches of an 

 elm or oak will yield more pounds of grapes than the one compelled to con- 

 fine its growth to four-feet arms ; but the fruit of the one will be in small, 

 ragged bunches ; the other will be in large, compact clusters, salable at a more 

 remunerative price. 



IN^ATURE, 



if left alone, will exert herself for reproductive purposes, but the pomologist 

 seeks to compel her to do more than this, and the success of his art is as marked 

 within the sphere of his operations as are the effects of that discipline which 

 contrasts mind educated in enlightened nations with mind uneducated in 

 savage nature ! 



THE TWO METHODS. 



I know of but two ways for pruning the peach, of a practical character. 

 The one is that adopted by a majority of the growers in the Michigan Peach 

 Belt, and expounded by Mr. Dyckman, consisting of a " mere annual thinning of 

 the branches to keep the tree in proper form." The other is the shortening 

 in system advocated by Mr. Downing, which consists in "cutting off half of 

 last year's growth over the whole outside of the head of the tree, and also upon 

 the inner branches." This system did not originate with Mr. Downing. It 

 had been practiced for a hundred years or more in Europe before it received 

 the sanction of his own strong judgment. 



THE SHORTENING IN SYSTEM. 



Of this system Mr. Downing says : "As the usual average growth is from 

 one to two feet, we shall necessarily take off from six to twelve inches. It 

 need not be done with precise measurement. Indeed, the strongest shoots 

 should be shortened back most in order to bring up the others, and any long 

 or projecting limbs that destroy the balance of the head should be cut back to 

 a uniform length : this brings the tree into a well rounded shape. By reducing 

 the young wood one-half we at the same moment reduce the coming crop one- 

 half in number. The remaining half, receiving all the sustenance of the tree, 

 are of double size. The young shoots which start out abundantly from every 

 part of the tree keep it well supplied with bearing wood for the next year, 

 "while the greater luxuriance and size of the foliage, as a necessary consequence, 

 produces larger and higher-flavored fruit." 



Mr. Downing further advocates this system as a means of extending the life- 



