Pruning Peach Trees 189 



It may be difficult or even impossible in all cases to dis- 

 tinguish positively between fruit- and leaf-buds by the 

 means ordinarily at the disposal of a fruit-grower when they 

 are in a perfectly dormant condition, but in general, a fruit- 

 bud is larger, plumper, and the point more rounded than a 

 leaf-bud, but this distinction does not always exist in an appre- 

 ciable degree. The peach-grower will do well to study care- 

 fully the characteristics of his different varieties in these 

 respects, and with regard to the position of the blossoms, 

 while the buds are opening and when the trees are in bloom. 

 When the fruit-buds reach the condition shown in Plate XVI 

 or even considerably before this stage, they are readily 

 distinguished from the leaf-buds. 



After bearing age is reached, even more careful attention 

 should be given to keeping the top well thinned out than 

 during the early years of the orchard. If the top is allowed 

 to become too dense, the struggle for existence among the 

 branches will result in their becoming weak and many of them 

 may die. It is only by keeping the top open to the sunlight 

 and air that the interior growth will be strong and develop 

 an abundance of well-matured and vigorous fruit-buds. 

 Keeping the top well thinned out so that every fruit gets its 

 full complement of sunshine results also in well-developed, 

 highly colored fruit. Only by this practice can fruit of the 

 best color be expected from the interior of the tree. Again, 

 an open top is essential to thorough spraying. Otherwise, 

 it is impossible, without much loss of time, to spray effectively. 

 For these and other reasons, the keeping of the top well 

 opened by pruning has much to do in the development of 

 high-grade fruit. 



In this general consideration of pruning peach trees, the de- 

 tails of the operation recorded in the tree shown in Plate 



