PKUNING AIJD MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH IPvEE. &15 l^ 



large, drawing all tlie sap to themselves, and inclined to push out laterals. The over- 

 luxuriant shoot shows a bad circulation of the sap, and is seldom found on any but 

 very young Peach trees, or on those that are badly managed. It is most frequently 

 taken off; but this should be done before it has attained too great a size; still there 

 are circumstances, which I will point out, where it can be made useful by pruning. 



24. Second sort. — The mixed shoot, as previously observed, is that on which both 

 wood and flower-buds exist. 



25. D. Of the Branch. — It is now understood that every shoot is, in general, the 

 origin of a branch, on which, by the influence of pruning and the continuance ot 

 growth, the buds w^ith which it is furnished break forth. Some of these buds give 

 rise to young shoots only ; others to both young shoots and flowers. 



20. Hence it follows that, as I only allow of two sorts of shoots (22), I recognise 

 but two sorts of branches, namely : 1st, the wood-branch ; 2d, the fruit-branch. I 

 make use of the latter expression because it is usually adopted, although improperly 

 so, as branches bearing fruit only rarely exist on the Peach tree. 



27. First sort. — The wood-branch is the second state of the shoot, of which all 

 the buds are wood-buds. The first branches that a young Peach tree makes are of 

 this sort, because, being nourished by a strong-flowing and as yet imperfectly elaborated 

 sap, they can not, during the first year of their existence, give rise to any thing but 

 wood-buds, W'hich become successively young shoots, mature shoots, and branches. 

 They afterward remain wood-branches during the life of the tree ; and they preserve 

 the power of producing wood-buds at any age, whatever may have been said to the 

 contrary. 



I dwell so much upon this fact, because it is hardly admitted ; and many persons 

 yet maintain that the Peach tree never forms shoots from the old wood. 



"Whatever be the mode of training, the wood-branches form the framework of the 

 tree. They receive difl'erent names, according to their place ; but I will speak of this 

 in treating on pruning, having only to consider here the Peach tree, and the nature of 

 its productions. 



28. Second sort. — The fruit branch follows the mixed shoot (24), as has been seen, 

 and is always borne by the wood-branches. It is of the greatest importance, for on 

 it all hopes of a crop dej^end. We also call it at Montreuil the small branch {la petite 

 hranche), from the diflerence between its size and that of the wood branch. In fact, 

 its thickness rarely exceeds that of a large quill. After having borne fruit it becomes 

 a wood-branch, if not removed by pruning, in order to replace it by another of an age 

 to bear. 



20. The fruit-branches, beside their use of producing fine and good fruit, have 

 another that is not without its interest, that of shading from the excessive heat of the 

 sun both the fruit which they nourish and the bark of the wood-branches which bear 

 them, and to which the nearer they are the better they protect. 



30. Such is the account that I have deemed necessary to make of the manner in 

 tlie vegetation of the Peach tree is carried on. I have thought this necessary, 

 ,'r to render more intelligible the explanations wliich I have to give on its pruning 



