170 PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TEEE, 



It also economises nails, prevents the tree from being galled, and 

 some of the fruit from being injured by nails pressing against 

 them. It often happens, especially in young Peach-trees, that in 

 training them after the winter-pruning a sufficient inclination 

 cannot be given to the principal branches for fear of breaking 

 their bark at the origin of the branch. If that be the case, we 

 uunail the tree in order to bring these branches down to the 

 proper place, which can be done with greater ease when they are 

 rendered more flexihle by the flow of sap. Under these circum- 

 stances the main branches are not always strong enough to support 

 the secondary branches loaded with leaves and fruit; therefore, 

 before completely unnailing the tree, they must be tied to each 

 other, at a foot from the stem, with strong osiers to prevent them 

 from splitting. The bark of the main branches should be pro- 

 tected from the pressure of the osiers by a piece of cork. Even 

 in old trees, where all the principal bi-anches after being unnailed 

 would remain in their right position, it is still advisable to support 

 each of the two main branches by one or two nails and shreds. 

 It is of course understood that all the ties of a tree on a trellis, 

 which were made at the winter-nailing, must be cut as the summer- 

 fastening proceeds. 



116. In this operation all the young shoots which are situated 

 towards the extremities of the principal branches, and those on 

 the fruit-branches, are nailed or tied in the right direction, at 

 proper distances, and without confusion. In summer-nailing we 

 always begin at the upper part of the tree, and work down- 

 wards. 



117. The summer-nailing produces the same effect on the 

 young shoots that the winter-nailing has on the fruit-branches, 

 according as more or less freedom is allowed them. Therefore, if 

 it is desirable to increase the growth of a young shoot, we give 

 it greater liberty in nailing. 



113. After having first nailed the upper parts, which are 

 always further advanced than the lower, by reason of the natural 

 inclination of the sap to ascend, there are cases where we leave 

 all the lower parts at liberty during ten or twelve days, thereby 

 increasing the strength of these parts, and equalizing it with that 

 of the upper shoots. 



119. During the winter-pruning, it is sometimes necessary to 

 remove superfluous eyes ; and, during the summer-nailing, 

 pinching, disbudding, and summer pruning are requisite 

 operations. 



