PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TEEE. 



114. Whenever we have time we ought to follow step by step the growth of the 

 young shoots, so as to nail them according to their strength, the place they occupy, 

 what they are intended for, and with respect to their relation to the other young pro- 

 ductions : but, as before said, the cultivators are too much engaged to take such 

 minute precautions. 



115. This being the case, the greater number of them allow the young shoots to 

 grow promiscuously until it becomes necessary to put an end to their disorder. They 

 then proceed to make a general summer-nailing, which is usually done between the 

 middle and end of June. As the nailing goes on, all the nails used in training the 

 principal branches, and in the winter-nailing, are pulled out, in order to use them 

 afresh. This proceeding gives freedom to the branches, which sometimes remain in 

 their places. It also economises nails, prevents the tree from being galled, and some 

 of the fruit from being injured by nails pressing against them. It often happens, 

 especially in young Peach trees, that in training them after the winter-pruning a suffi- 

 cient inclination can not be given to the principal branches for fear of breaking their 

 bark at the origin of the branch. If that be the case, we unnail the tree in order to 

 bring these branches down to the proper place, which can be done with greater ease 

 when they are rendered more flexible by the flow of sap. Under these circumstances 

 the main branches are not always strong enough to support the secondary branches 

 loaded with leaves and fruit ; therefore, before completely unnailing the tree, they 

 must be tied to each other, at a foot from the stem, with strong osiers to prevent them 

 from splitting. The bark of the main branches should be protected from the pressure 

 of the osiers by a piece of cork. Even in old trees, where all the principal branches 

 after being unnailed would remain in their right position, it is still advisable to sup- 

 port each of the two main branches by one or two nails and shreds. It is of course 

 understood that all the ties of a tree on a trellis, which were made at the winter-nail- 

 ing, must be cut as the summer-fastening proceeds. 



IIG. In this operation all the young shoots that are situated towards the extremi- 

 ties of the principal branches, and those on the fruit-branches, are nailed or tied in the 

 right direction, at proper distances, and without confusion. In summer-nailing we 

 always begin at the upper part of the tree, and work downwards. 



11*7. The summer-nailing produces the same effect on the young shoots that the 

 winter-nailing has on the fruit-branches, according as more or less freedom is allowed 

 them. Therefore, if it is desirable to increase the growth of a young shoot, we give it 

 greater liberty in nailing. 



118. After having first nailed the upper parts, which are always further advanced 

 than the lower, by reason of the natural inclination of the sap to ascend, there are 

 cases where we leave all the lower parts at liberty during ten or twelve days, thereby 

 increasing the strength of these parts, and equalizing it with that of the upper shoots. 



119. During the winter-pruning it is sometimes necessary to remove superfluous 

 eyes; and, during the summer-nailing, pinching, disbudding, and summer-pruning, 

 are requisite operations. 



{To le continued.) 



