19 1 5 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page II 



all. Some trees will force out new 

 buds and shoots, but on the other hand 

 there are others which will not. If 

 after the buds start on the short lat- 

 erals there are found to be too many, 

 it will be a simi)le matter to thin out 

 undesirable growth. It is customary 

 to try to head the peaches as low as 

 possible; to have the first branch come 

 out very close to the ground and to get 

 the crotches as well spaced as is con- 

 sistent with the amount of area one 

 can work with. At the end of the first 

 year choose four or five of the best- 

 spaced branches and cut them back on 

 an average of 8 to 12 inches in length. 

 Not much summer pruning is practiced 

 for peaches. By the end of the second 

 year the tree should be cut back again 

 so that it will vary in height from 

 about 3% to 4% feet. Constantly train 

 the tree to spread by cutting to outside 

 buds, constantly forcing the tree to 

 make a broad-spreading top rather 

 than to allow it to shoot up in the air. 

 It takes more nerve than the average 

 grower has to cut the trees as hard as 

 indicated, but it is necessary if one is 

 to keep the tree near the ground and 

 have a profitable fruiting tree. It will 

 be necessary to cut off about two- 

 thirds of the last year's wood from the 

 inside of the tree. Practice this con- 

 stantly with the peach. The aim will 

 be to keep the center completely open 

 so as to give light and develop strong 

 wood. Cut out all weak wood and 

 limit the amount of annual wood so 

 that what is left can grow strong. It 

 will be only on the strong wood that 

 large peaches will grow. We would 

 caution the growers, however, that 

 they can go to extremes in growing 





£•;>. ; 





"^'-100, 



Figure 40 — Same tree as shown in Figure 39, after pruning, showing 

 desirable heavy pruning. 



vigorous wood. If the wood becomes 

 too vigoi-ous, the first few crops will 

 be borne entirely on the ends of the 

 shoots, and it will be almost impossible 

 to prune the trees and still have any 

 fruit. The medium-sized wood will be 



more desirable. If you find the wood 

 is getting too vigorous lie sparing in 

 the pruning and it will tend to check 

 the trees. A little sunnner pruning 

 might be used to advantage where the 

 wood tends to become excessive. Not 

 nnich fruit should be taken olT peaches 

 until about the fourth year. 



California, according to the Califor- 

 nia Fruit Distributors, shipped the fol- 

 lowing tonnage in the >ear Ifll."). The 

 figures also show the tonnage for 1914, 

 showing the shipments this year were 

 somewhat less than last year. The fig- 

 ures given are in carloads: 



1914 1915 



Cherries 166% 205% 



Apricots 382 392% 



Peaches 2,144 1,688% 



Plums 1,9061/2 2,224y2 



Pears 2,685 ¥2 2,608 



Grapes 7,116% 7,20iy2 



Miscellaneous 43% 42% 



14,444% 14,363 



The National Conference on Market- 

 ing and Farm Credits will hold a meet- 

 ing in Chicago at the Hotel Sherman 

 November 29 to December 2, inclusive. 

 The first meeting was held two years 

 ago. An immense amount of good has 

 been accomplished through this confer- 

 ence. Every fruit grower, every farmer 

 and every one engaged in marketing 

 farm products should not fail to attend 

 this conference if it is possii)le to do so. 



The first returns from Walsonville 

 Newtowns exported arc not very flat- 

 tering in net results to the grower. 



