PRUNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TREE. 185 



suppressions are made that the flow of the sap may render 

 necessary for regulating and completing the intentions of the 

 operations of winter-pruning. 



164. Fourth Pruning. — Fifth year of planting. In our cul- 

 tures at Montreuil, owing to the height the tree has attained, and 

 the lowness of the walls, the formation of the lower secondary 

 branches is now complete ; but when the walls are high, a fourth 

 lower secondary may be formed at this pruning, proceeding in the 

 same way as for the other three which compose the frame-work of 

 our trees. I will not treat further on this fourth branch, which 

 seldom exists in our gardens, as I only wish to make known my 

 own practice in conducting the square-trained Peach-tree. 



165. Fig. 1 1 (a, b, c, d) represents the principal branches of the 

 tree at this stage. After having examined, from top to bottom, 

 the shoots and fruit-branches along the principal ones, and having 

 pruned them as was done in the previous year, the pruning of 

 the wood-branches is next to be considered. 



166. The main branch, a, is brought down to the point it 

 should occupy after nailing, in order to judge better where each 

 secondary branch should extend. The branch a is now pruned 

 for the fourth time, the branch d for the first^ time, the branch 

 c for the second time, and the branch e for the third time ; 

 each of them to its proper relative height. As the formation of a 

 secondary branch is no longer required, the branch a is pruned 

 to a bud situated either on the upper or under side, or in front 

 of the branch, according as it may happen to be at the most 

 suitable distance. 



167. Sometimes I do not find eyes on the principal branches 

 sufficiently well placed at the winter pruning. In that case I 

 leave a portion of the shoot beyond the eye intended to produce 

 the leading shoot, when that eye is situated lower down than the 

 one on the corresponding branch, in order that after nailing no 

 difference may be perceived. When the eye above which I have 

 left this piece of branch begins to grow I cut back to it, and I 

 attend to the growth of the two relative extremities in order that 

 they may become of equal length. 



168. After having trained, and winter-nailed the tree, lowering 

 at the same time its four branches towards the position which 

 they should finally occupy, vegetation soon commences, and during 

 its course we must disbud, pinch, nail, disbud a second time, and 

 use summer-pruning, according as these operations are required ; 

 performing all with the view to the equal distribution of sap. 



