now TO TREAT rEACII-TREES. 



the work of art and nature were bo successfully interwoven, presenting a picture 

 of which wc felt jirdiul, was sadly the worse for it in the eyes of an amateur. 



As these |iroceeditijrs were prot^ressiuf; ; the silent lookers-on could endure it no 

 lonjer. They stole away unohserved, and told their luisy mother all abtjut it. 

 Slie went to the rescue, lint what would she do ? Seold them ? Put 'em in 

 jail ? as these towners would be very ready to do, were we to venture to town, 

 and attempt to act their part. Nay, we must take it all pood-naturedly. Jn this 

 case, as dinner was over, and a few liours spent in social tfle a tite, the poor things 

 needed no further chastisement, for their imprudent violation of the laws of health 

 by eatincT an undue quantity of unripe fruit, inflicted its punishment most keenly ; 

 it told a sickening tale on them. 



Trivial as the subject of this sketch may appear to you and others, it is not the 

 less truthful, and is what wc have frequently to undergo ; and I ask whether you 

 do not consider such conduct very annoytnfj, especially when it has to be endured 

 from such as lay claims to the advatitages of a good education ? To the generality 

 of amateurs, it is ever a pleasure to give, but few will be found who do not keenly 

 regret having the things in which they feel so lively an interest pillaged and de- 

 spoiled ; most who cultivate, have learned to value them too much to be thus trifled 

 with. Yery often we have new varieties, just coming into first bearing, in the 

 cultivation of which we have spent time and money, and arc thus deprived of 

 ascertaining their real qualities. 



Sketches, ad injinitum, of a similar character, and some far more vexatious, 

 could be added, if desired ; but this may, perhaps, suffice for the present (if not 

 already superfluous). 



HOW TO TREAT PEACH-TREES. 



BY THE LATE A. J. DOWNING. 



April is the time to " shorten-in" your peach, apricot, and ncctarinc-trecs, 

 both for the sake of the fruit they will bear this season and the health and good 

 condition of the trees. I suppose everybody understands the difference between 

 shortening-in and common pruning. If not, I must make a long story short by 

 saying, that shortening-in is nothing more than cutting off the ends of the last 

 year's shoots. 



Suppose, for instance, the case of a young peach-tree just coming into bearing. 

 The growth of last year consists of shoots, all over the outside of the head, or top 

 of the tree, each shoot from ten to twenty inches long. Well, in the case of such 

 a tree, I should shorten-in every shoot one-half — that is, I would cut off five 

 inches of the end if the shoot is ten inches long, or ten inches if it is twice that 

 length. If the tree has made but a moderate growth, then I would take off only 

 a third; or the same if there is but a scanty store of blossom-buds. But if the 

 tree is strong and healthy, and shows an abundance of blossom-buds, then half 

 the length of the last'year's shoot is not too much.* The fruit will be larger, 

 you will have as many bushels, and the flavor will be much richer; and what is 

 of great consequence, the constitution of the tree will not be impaired by over- 

 bearing. 



In the case of large, or old peach-trees — especially if they have been neglected, 

 or badly pruned — something must be done that will bring them within bounds 



mean, of all the strongest shoots. The weak ones may he left two-thirds their 

 lencrth. 



