PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TREE. 175 



some of its eyes push laterals, it may be cut down, by summer- 

 pruuing, on a dormant eye ; or, if none such exist, on its lowest 

 lateral. 



130. With respect to the laterals which break out prematurely 

 on the young shoots, pinching is much more important for those 

 situated on the upper side than for those on the lower. The latter, 

 from having a less flow of sap, do not always require to undergo 

 this operation. 



131. Pinching being an operation entirely depending on fore- 

 sight, it should be well considered ; for when carried to too great 

 an extent, its effects are disastrous; therefore I recommend great 

 care to be taken in practising it ; and I may say, that on my 

 trees only a third, at most, of the young shoots undergo the 

 operation. 



VIII. Thinning the Fruit. 



132. The danger of frosts, which are often so fatal to the blossoms 

 of the Peach-ti*ee, obliges us, at the time of pruning, to retain 

 more flowers than is absolutely necessary ; and if the weather be 

 favourable, too many fruits is the consequence. Fructification 

 being a very trying process, the trees might be injured by its 

 being allowed to take place too extensively ; therefore an ex- 

 cessive setting of fruit must be prevented. Nevertheless, in years 

 when only a moderate quantity sets, the thinning should not be 

 made till the month of June, the time that the stone is formed, 

 which is a crisis at which much fruit drops. When those that 

 remain appear secure, the superabundant ones are removed, so as 

 to leave only as many as the tree can bring to perfection, and 

 nourish without exhausting itself. In this operation, the fruits 

 that are too close together are thinned out, so as to distribute the 

 whole equally, and as nearly as possible at uniform distances, 

 giving the preference to those that are best placed, and of a regular 

 form. 



133. We first thin out those fruits that are at the tops of 

 weak branches, or on branches of which the successional shoot 

 appears weak ; and there is always a less number left on the 

 lower than on the upper parts, although the former have more 

 flowers. The fruits to be removed must be detached by turning 

 them with the thumb and the two first fingers without jerking, 

 taking care not to break off those intended to remain. When the 

 growth of the tree is well balanced, the number of fruits left on 



