388 STAlT'E BOARD OF A'GRICULT1J-R.E 



growth. Again, one should try to leave the tree as a whole well balanced, but 

 he should destroy the balance of individual limbs by unequal cutting, or by 

 leaving a leader. 



There will probably be a great number of twigs or branches throughout the 

 lower parts and center of the tree. Those that are placed to receive light 

 and have plenty of room for development should be tipped back 25 to 50 per 

 cent, depending on the character of the growth, and saved for fruiting wood. 

 Undoubtedly a large number of small twigs will have to be removed to admit 

 light and avoid crowding. Although fruiting wood is desirable along the 

 main branches and extending to the center of the tree, the pruner should at- 

 tempt to keep this growth rather short and thus maintain the open center. 



PRUNING THE BEARING TEACH TREE* 



If the tree has been built along the lines previously outlined, it will be low 

 and spreading, making it possible for the several orchard operations to be 

 done by men or women standing on the ground. Future pruning should be 

 such as will retain and encourage the formation of fruiting wood throughout 

 the center as well as the outer parts of the tree, remembering that the peach 

 bears its fruit on wood of the previous season's growth, and that a goodly 

 supply of new wood should be produced each season. Failure to prune the 

 peach tree for even one season will result in a thick top with a small amount 

 of fruiting wood far removed from the main framework, and probably in a 

 weakened tree producing many small and inferior fruits. 



If the tree is making a very vigorous growth, each of the main branches 

 produced during the previous season should usually be cut back to a good 

 lateral or secondarj^ branch produced during the same season. Two or three 

 of these secondary lateral branches may be selected and tipped back so as to 

 leave most of the fruit buds, or they may be left without tipping, provided the 

 growth was not strong. If the previous season's growth did not exceed 18 to 

 24 inches, the selected branches should usually be headed back 25 to 40 per 

 cent, or so as to leave a satisfactory number of fruit buds on each branch. 

 The grower should strive to keep the tree low, and to accomplish this it is 

 frequently advisable to cut back the larger branches into two- or three-year- 

 old wood, and to a good, wide-spreading lateral branch of the previous season. 



The outer parts of the tree should be thinned out to avoid crowding and 

 to permit a free circulation of air and access of sunlight. A good supply of 

 bearing wood should be retained throughout the centers and lower parts of 

 the tree. This wood should be headed back and should never be allowed to 

 develop enough to fill the center of the tree. Old twigs that have ceased to 

 produce a goodly number of fruit buds should be removed to make room for 

 the development of new wood. 



Pruning Neglected Peach Trees — Peach trees which have not been properly 

 pruned for two or three seasons usually attain the shape of a "naturally 

 grown" tree; that is, the middles become brushy and frequently higher than 

 the other parts of the tree, and the annual growth is short. These trees 

 gradually become weaker and produce only a small amount of undersized 

 fruit. It is usually advisable to open such trees by removing the branches 

 from the center and then cutting back the remaining branches into old old 



•See 32-year-old peach tree on front cover of this circular. 



