154 PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OP THE PEACH TREE. 



have no fixed time of pruning. I have occasionally pruned some 

 of my trees in December, with the same result as those that were 

 pruned later. It may therefore be concluded, that it can be done 

 from January till April ; but I recommend it to be done soon 

 rather than too late; for when vegetation is active, pruning 

 causes a more sensible reaction on the trees. There are, how- 

 ever, cases where late pruning may be of use. When a tree not 

 yet growing is pruned, it loses no sap ; for on the latter beginning 

 to circulate, it flows to the buds, which, by expanding, afford it an 

 outlet ; at the same time the cuts are so far dried up as to offer a 

 sufficient resistance to the escape of the sap. If, on the contrary, 

 we prune when the sap is actively circulating in the tops of the 

 shoots, their pores, opened by the cuts, allow a portion of it to 

 evaporate. Whence the conclusion, that it is proper to prune old 

 trees when the sap is down, because they have none to spare ; and 

 that, on the contrary, it may prove beneficial to prune young or 

 very vigorous trees after the sap has risen ; the loss of a part of 

 this fluid cannot be disadvantageous to them ; for, by moderating 

 their vigour, it insures the production of fruit. We must not 

 forget that fructification weakens the trees. One of the objects 

 of pruning is to diminish the superabundant strength of a tree ; 

 and when once it has put it in a state for fruit-bearing, pruning 

 maintains a due balance between the production of wood, and that 

 of fruit, so as to economise the strength of the tree, and insure 

 its prolonged existence. Since I have been a cultivator, I have 

 had numerous opportunities of convincing myself, by experience, 

 of the correctness of this observation. 



63. To render the operations of pruning more intelligible, I 

 shall consider it in two points of view : 1st, the pruning of wood- 

 branches ; 2nd, the pruning of fruit-branches. 



64. 1st, Pruning of the Wood-branches. Its principle is a 

 consequence of their natural organisation. I have explained 

 (19 — 26) what is a shoot, and what is a branch. The first, which 

 ultimately becomes the second, is furnished throughout its length 

 with wood-buds, or with shoots of large or small size ; and is always, 

 itself, terminated with a bud which is designated by the name of 

 terminal bud or eye, or growing-point. The sap, which tends to 

 rise in all trees with great force, but more especially in the 

 Peach, gives a gi'eater development to the terminal bud than to 

 the others, which become gradually weaker in proportion to their 

 distance from the top of the shoot, and as they come nearer to 

 their origin at the place of the last pruning. The result of this 



