324 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



able, this tree would set twenty or more times as many peaches as would 

 be required for a full crop. Note carefully how we have trimmed this^ 

 tree. We show you the first motion in this kind of trimming. Go on the 

 ladder and cut back all leading growths one half to two thirds; then thin 

 out the smaller bearing branches as you see. Now, if all the buds left 

 survive the winter we will pick off more peaches than we leave on when 

 thinning next June. This tree, or rather this block of 500 Lewis, averaged 

 a little over one half bushel of fine peaches per tree in 1896, and was set in 

 April, 1894. 



Our next picture, No. 4, shows a tree set in the spring of 1893, which 

 has borne two full crops of fruit. It is of more spreading habit than 

 the preceding one, but you will observe the same general lines of trim- 

 ming. At this age you will begin to observe one of the strong points in 

 this system of pruning; i. e., the noticeable thickening and stocking of 

 body and main branches, and the large, strong formation of the crotches. 

 These trees seldom or never split down, no matter how heavily loaded, 

 and I never have a prop in my orchards. 



Our next picture, No. 5, shows you a Burbank plum under same treat- 

 ment, which I find just as desirable in plum culture as in peach. 



These samjjles are, no doubt, enough to impress you with the plan or 

 sj^stem of pruning which I practice and advocate; and I will now show 

 you some views in this same orchard in full leaf, that you may more fully 

 see the results. 



Cut No. G; variety, Lewis; planted April, 1894; photographed October 

 1, 1896; extreme height, twelve feet; extreme width, fourteen feet; height 

 of body, eighteen inches; diameter of body, four and one half inches. 

 Bore full crop in 1896. 



Cut No. 7; variety. Gold Drop; planted April, 1893; photographed Octo- 

 ber 1, 1896; height, twelve feet; width, twenty feet, four inches; height of 

 body, fourteen inches; diameter, five and three quarters inches; full crop 

 in 1896. 



Cut No. 8; view between rows of Gold Drop, set twenty feet apart^ 

 April, 1893; picture taken to show strength of growth, trees meeting 

 across the row. 



Cut No. 9; shows typical tree in four-year-old Elberta orchard; height, 

 twelve and a half feet; width, seventeen feet; height of body, twenty-one 

 inches; diameter, six and three quarters inches. This tree was set in 

 spring of 1892, bore some fruit in 1894, about one bushel in 1895, and over 

 five bushels in 1896. 



Cut No. 10; view between rows in four-year Elberta orchard, designed 

 to show the uniform character of the trees. 



Cut No. 11; shows view in four-year-old St. John orchard, with pack- 

 ing-house in shade of native forest, and the pleasantest spot on the farm. 



Cut No. 12; shows a general view of an eight-year-old orchard that 

 has been pruned according to the plan detailed here. Notice where the 

 growth was cut last spring, and see the amount of new growth follow- 

 ing an enormous crop of fruit. This orchard has ten acres and has pro- 

 duced six full cro]»s, and has made a net profit of over |1,100 per acre 

 during that time, or a little better than |137 per acre per annum. 



