PKUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF TUE PEACH IKEE. 



as ever, proving by their results that my method of square training is not only easy 

 of execution, but durable in its effects. This is an advantage which those who treat 

 on training do not always possess, and who would be greatly perplexed to show liv- 

 ing examples of trees trained in accordance with their principles, although they may 

 have had trees engraved as if such had been actually in existence. 



179. During the ninth year from planting, the growth of shoots more or less vigor- 

 ous, which will be developed on all the branches, must be watched, so as to modify 

 and govern it according to the state of the tree, by means of pinching, disbudding, 

 and nailing. 



If, during the summer, any of the terminal shoots, e, e, e, grow too long, summer- 

 pruning must be employed. The leader must be cut back on a lateral placed in front, 

 and which is nailed in the best way to counteract its growth, and to keep these branch- 

 es within their prescribed limits, as they are always more inclined than the others to 

 grow too strong, owing to their almost vertical direction. 



II. The Pruning of the Peach tree in the Square Form after its formation is 



comjjlete. 



180. Having explained the various annual operations by which the complete for- 

 mation of the tree is effected at the eighth winter-pruning, it is now necessary to state 

 by what means its regularity, as well as its productiveness, may be maintained, dur- 

 ing the fifteen or twenty years which it may be expected to live. 



181. At each year's winter-pruning, the branch that has borne fruit is cut off close 

 to the one trained to replace it, and the latter is shortened to a wood-bud situated 

 above several blossom-buds. Sometimes this successional fruit-branch is necessarily 

 left much longer than we could wish, owing to the flow^er-buds being situated near 

 the top of the shoot. This is frequently the case on the upper sides where the strong- 

 est shoots have more wood-buds at their bases ; but it need not cause us any uneasi- 

 ness, as we are sure of being able to remedy it at the following pruning, and we can, 

 by leaving the shoot long, obtain one or two Peaches, of which we would otherwise 

 have been deprived. Besides, the shoot may be pruned immediately above a flower- 

 bud, as stated (96). By thus maintaining on the principal branches well-conditioned 

 fruit-branches and young wood to replace them, it will be perceived that the sap is 

 forced to distribute itself equally, and that it is prevented from running through all 

 the sap-vessels of the principal branches so rapidly as only to leave badly-elaborated 

 juices. During the existence of the tree, the pruning of the fruit-branches is always 

 the same ; and disbudding and pinching are the regulators by which we can conduct 

 the development of these branches at will (87 — 96). 



182. With regard to the principal branches, their pruning ought to be governed 

 by two principles. The first is to encourage the prolongation of the branches a, b, c, 

 D ; the second, on the contrary, is to restrain as much as possible the growth of the 

 extremeties e, e, e. These two opposite means mutually assist each other. In fact, 

 it may easily be conceived that, in consequence of the elongation of the extremities 



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