^!^i 



rUUMlNQ AUD MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACU TliEE. 



tiulinal iiu'isioiis on tlic main liraiicli iiiiiiivdiatelv above it, aii<l cxtciidiiig to ll 

 of the shoot. 



7;?. In pninini; tlie lower socondai y brandies, il is best to cut to an eye situated on 

 tlic under side of the braneli. In eutting to an eye on the under side, the shoot from 

 it has a natural tendeney to take the direction we desire. The same holds good in 

 pruning the main branches, after the formation of the tliree lower secondary branches; 

 but previously it would not, owing to the alternate position of the buds. For the i)ro- 

 longatiou of the main branches, we should generally cut to an eye so situated as that 

 the one immediately below it may be on the under side for the development of a 

 lower secondary branch. The eye to which a main branch ought to be shortened 

 must not, however, be chosen in all cases in this manner. Under some circumstancts 

 it may be preferably shortened to a bud placed on any side, provided it be at the 

 proper height, and the position of the slioot is afterwards regulated by nailing. 

 AVhen a braucli is stronger than its fellow, its pruning must be so managed as to 

 check it ; while the weakly brancli must be pruned in such a manner as to promote 

 its growth : and thus equality will be ultimately restored. "With this aim, I cut back 

 the stronger to a triple wood-bud (13), and destroy the middle one, which is always 

 the strongest, with the point of the pruning-knife. As soon as tlie remaining two are 

 grown up, I preserve the one that appears the best fitted for the object in view, and the 

 other is cut oft'. Lastly, when there is a strongly-marked inequality, the weaker branch 

 may be cut back to a vigorous shoot which may be made the leader ; and in training, 

 this must be allowed to grow as freely as is consistent with the regularity of the tree. 



74. "With regard to the upper secondary branches, they are formed, when it is time 

 to do so, from a fruit-branch suitably placed, of the thickness of a quill throughout its 

 length, of moderate vigor, and which has been several times pruned back. To accom- 

 plish this, the successional bearing-shoot is cut out close to its base, and the branch 

 that has borne fruit the year before is pruned to a wood-eye for a leading shoot. The 

 formation of upper secondary branches must be watched progressively, in order that 

 their base may be always well furnished with branches that shall not be over-vigorous 

 for fruiting. This requires much care, and pinching and disbudding must be resorted 

 to, in order to check the tendency of the sap to rise most abundantly through vertical 

 channels. They are also pruned to a triple bud for a leader ; and frequently, when 

 they still prove too vigorous, they are cut back to a well-placed lateral, the latter being 

 shortened to a suitable wood-bud. 



75. From what has been said, it is now evident that there is no great diflieulty in 

 pruning wood-branches ; and any one can insure success when the operations neces- 

 sary to be performed on them, from the time the tree is planted till that of its com- 

 plete formation, sliall have been detailed. 



76. 2d, Pruning the Fruit-branches. In a Peach tree, trained according to the 

 square mode, if we except the two main branches and the twelve secondary branches 

 that compose the skeleton, all the others may be considered as shoots and fruit-branches 

 of a mixed nature ; for the greater number of them bear both leaves and fruit 



77. The way of obtaining the greatest possible quantity of fruit from a tree, without 



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