PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TREE. 155 



constant natural tendency is, that we can direct the sap to what- 

 ever lateral bud we please on that shoot, by cutting the latter at 

 a very short distance above, to make a new terminal bud, or eye, 

 which takes the name of ceil terminal combine, to distinguish it 

 from the natural terminal eye, and because the effects of pruning 

 are combined in its development. It is a bud, or eye, rendered 

 terminal by pruning. 



05. Thus the shortening of branches has not the effect of 

 stopping their growth, but that of giving a great vigour to the eye 

 above which the cut is made ; and to the lower buds a strength 

 which varies according to their distance from the bud to which the 

 shoot was cut back. This bud, in growing, forms a shoot which 

 constitutes a new prolongation, terminated by a growing-point, 

 and is furnished, in turn, with lateral wood-buds. 



We now perfectly understand, that, as we can make any lateral 

 bud a terminal one, by pruning above and near it, we can choose 

 it according to our requirements and the end we have in view. 



66. This is the fundamental principle of pruning the wood- 

 branches. They should be pruned long or short, according to the 

 strength of the tree. In those that are vigorous it is not uncom- 

 mon to see branches make shoots of from four and a half to six 

 and a half feet long in one season, and sometimes even of greater 

 length. In such cases it is well not to prune them short, because, 

 by leaving them at considerable length, there is space for several 

 shoots likely to be produced of medium strength for furnishing 

 the branch. This is a better mode of subduing the impetuous 

 growth of young trees, than that of delaying the pruning till such 

 time as the wood and flower-buds commence to open, and thus 

 cause a loss of sap as mentioned (62). Moreover, I have only 

 spoken of late pruning in order to meet a case, where, from some 

 cause, the operation could not be performed at its proper time ; 

 and it should be understood that, under these circumstances, it is 

 the youngest and strongest trees that suffer the least from such 

 delay. 



67. If, on the other hand, short pruning is adopted, it will 

 produce strong young shoots, often too near each other, the 

 vigour of which can neither be repressed by pinching, nor by any 

 other operation. There would be no resource left but to cut 

 them out at the following pruning ; this increases the number of 

 wounds, weakens the tre.e, and prevents it from assuming a regular 

 form, with branches tapering uniformly from their bases to their 

 extremities. 



