178 PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT 01 THE PEACH THEE. 



until after the fruit has heeu gathered. The more it is attended 

 to, so much the more is the winter-pruning advanced. 



X. Defoliation. 



144. The object of this is, to remove leaves that shade the 

 fruit so as to deprive it of the amount of light necessary to give 

 it the proper flavour and colour. 



145. The leaves are taken off at several times. We ought not 

 to commence uncovering the fruit until it is about to accomplish 

 its maturity, that is to say, when the Peaches are nearly at their 

 full size. They are not exposed all at nnce to the sun, nor are all 

 on the same tree uncovered at one time, at least when not grown 

 for sale, as at Montreuil. The colder the season, the more leaves 

 are taken off. It must not, however, be forgotten, that an 

 excessive defoliation may prove detrimental to the full development 

 of the fruit ; and that, as leaves are essential to the existence of 

 the eyes, or buds, that grow from their axils, it is necessary to cut 

 the leaf with the secateur, and to retain the petiole, and sometimes 

 a third or half of the leaf, in order to preserve the embryo buds. 

 It is also important not to take off any leaves from weakly shoots, 

 the growth of which requires to be encouraged. Defoliation 

 must be so performed as to assist the maturity and colouring of 

 the fruit, taking care at the same time that it may not prove 

 prejudicial to those young productions that should insure us 

 future crops. 



Section V. — The Practice of Pruning applied to the Peach-tree 



TRAINED IN THE SQUARE FORM. 



I. Formation of the Tree. 



146. It has been shown (55) how the young tree was planted. 

 We will now return to that point, and examine the operations 

 which it must each year undergo, in order that it may assume the 

 square form of training, and be well filled up in all its parts, with 

 an equal vigour throughout. 



147. As stated (56), the young tree on being planted in 

 autumn is cut back to eight or ten inches above the place where 

 it was budded ; see Fig. 6, which represents the tree as it comes 

 from the nursery : b is the bud, a is the point to which it is 

 headed back when planted. In the following spring, the develop- 



