PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TREE. 169 



had been neglected. Ten years ago, at Andilly, I had 

 occasion to cover, in this way, some principal branches that were 

 naked to a very great extent. In order to do so, I allowed a 

 young branch, trained in the above-mentioned way, to grow along 

 the naked branches, securing it close to the latter by including 

 both in the same fastenings. In this way, the naked branches 

 were covered; whilst the means employed were scarcely per- 

 ceptible. 



111. We now readily cover naked portions of branches by 

 means of inarching. It is thus performed : — Part of the end of a 

 young shoot originating below the naked part is trained along the 

 naked branch ; we raise from the latter a strip of bark as broad as 

 the thickness of the shoot, and about an inch and a quarter in 

 length, and we apply to this barked portion a part of the shoot 

 sliced to half its thickness, with an eye in the middle ; the 

 inarched shoot is secured with worsted, leaving the top of the 

 shoot free. This operation may be performed from April to 

 August. In the following spring, early or late, according to the 

 state of vegetation, the inarched shoot is divided from its original 

 base immediately below where it was united to the naked branch ; 

 and no more scar is left than results from a shield-bud. 



112. It may happen, that during the winter-nailing it is 

 necessary to suppress useless eyes. Instead, however, of entering 

 into details respecting that operation, it will be better to proceed 

 with the subject in hand. 



113. b, Summer-nailing. The summer-nailing consists in 

 fastening to the wall, when needful, those young shoots made by 

 the wood-buds subsequently to the winter-pruning and nailing. 



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 productions :. 

 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. 



