90 



Peach-Growing 



of the branch. With small and medium-sized grades, there 

 is little danger that an abundant growth of desirable character 

 will not develop from the main stem; yet there is an in- 

 creasing tendency with some growers to cut the branches 

 back to stubs instead of trimming the tree to a single stem 



when using even some of the smaller 

 sizes. 



The pruning of large grade trees 

 when planting them is illustrated in 

 Figs. 5 to 8. Figure 5 shows the top 

 of a tree as it came from the nurs- 

 ery. The same tree with certain 

 branches selected as the foundation 

 of the permanent top and the dis- 

 carded part removed is to be seen in 

 Fig. 6. The next step with the 

 framework branches cut back to 

 stubs appears in Fig. 7, while Fig. 8 

 is the same as the one preceding 

 viewed from a point directly above 

 it. The symmetrical arrangement 

 of the limbs selected to form the 

 permanent top is here seen. 

 In this case five branches have been reserved as the founda- 

 tion of the new top. Some growers of wide experience affirm 

 that three branches are sufficient and that a top formed of a 

 larger number of main framework limbs requires more prun- 

 ing, that it is more difficult and expensive to keep the top 

 well opened to sunlight and air, and for which there are no 

 adequate compensating features. 



The top in Fig. 8 could have been reduced to three frame 

 branches by removing completely stubs two and four, or such 



Fig. 6. — The tree shown 

 in Fig. 5 after the branches 

 which are to form the perma- 

 nent top have been selected 

 and the others cut away. 



