PEUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACU TREE. 



mer-disbudding is an excellent means of regulating tlie growth of the tree with much 

 greater certainty ; for when it is performed, the more advanced state of vegetation 

 enables us better to distinguish the growths which ought to be removed. 



121. The same holds good with regard to removing the eyes from the upper fruit- 

 bearing branches, which, when pushing vigorously, have their bases furnished with 

 several wood-eyes, while their flower-buds are situated towards their extremities ; so 

 that in pruning, to have fruit, they must be left long. In such a case, the two eyes 

 nearest the base are retained for successional shoots ; and in order that their develop- 

 ment may not be prevented, the other wood-buds, between the two lower and the 

 flower-buds, arc removed at the winter-pruning, or after they have pushed in spring, 

 as I shall hereafter explain. The first proceeding is without any inconvenience in 

 full-grown trees, where the sap does not flow so strongly ; but, in order to make this 

 suppression in young and vigorous trees, it is better to wait till the eyes push young 

 shoots, so that sufficient time for a partial diversion of the sap may be given, thus 

 preventing it from flowing too strongly towards the successional shoot. 



VI. Disbudding^ or Removal of Young Shoots. 



122. Disbudding is the suppression of all the useless or badly-disposed shoots and 

 laterals, with the intention of concentrating the sap, of encouraging the growth of the 

 young shoots retained, and of keeping a sufficient space in which to nail them with 

 regularity and symmetry. Disbudding, to produce the best results, should be divided 

 into two distinct operations. The first takes place as soon as all the buds of the 

 Peach tree become developed into young shoots, so as to enable us to know the ones 

 that are unnecessary ; it is the operation subsequent to the winter-nailing. The 

 second takes place successively as vegetation proceeds, and applies to the laterals as 

 well as to the primitive young shoots. 



123. The first operation is a very good substitute for winter-disbudding, which I do 

 not recommend. It most commonly takes place early or late in May, according as 

 vegetation is more or less forward ; but always before the young shoots have acquired 

 too much strength. If we deferred too long, the suppression of the young shoots 

 would cause a great derangement in the circulation of the sap. It is, therefore, very 

 important to make the first removal of young shoots while the latter are herbaceous, 

 and scarcely three-fourths of an inch long. It is performed on the fruit-branches in the 

 case mentioned at 121, and on shoots of the former year which terminate the wood- 

 branches recently pruned. la fact, these shoots, the result of the former year's prun- 

 ing, will have formed a great number of triple eyes, more especially on strong trees. 

 These eyes, opening at the same time, would produce young shoots, which, if retained, 

 would consume too great a quantity of sap. For this reason, the middle one, which 

 is always the strongest, must be invariably suppressed at the time of its first starting 

 into active growth, preserving only the best-placed of the remaining two, in order that 

 it, and others managed in the same way, may, on their becoming fruit-branches, reg- 

 ularly furnish the principal branches. With respect to double shoots, the same pro- ^^ 

 cedure is adopted as in the two latter cases. This first disbudding is of verv 



