Pruning Peach Trees 193 



"After the trees are in bearing we do no very heavy cutting 

 for the next few years except to remove branches that cross 

 or interfere. Terminal growths more than twelve to sixteen 

 inches in length are thinned out and those allowed to remain 

 are cut back from one-third to one-half. 



"After our trees have borne several crops and begin to lose 

 vigor making only a short annual growth with a diminishing 

 number of fruit-buds we intensify our pruning, cutting back 

 into two-, three- and sometimes even four-year-old wood. We 

 are careful to cut back to a good lateral branch in each 

 instance so that the wounds will heal over readily and no 

 stubs will be left to induce decay. Framework branches are 

 interfered with as little as possible. If the tree has grown 

 too tall as is apt to be the case with tall growing varieties 

 like Reeves, we do not hesitate to cut back tall center 

 branches sufficiently to bring the tree within bounds for con- 

 venience in spraying and harvesting the fruit. As peach- 

 growers well know, heavy pruning renews the vigor of the 

 tree and increases the size of the fruit. In doing this heavy 

 pruning we avoid cutting away too much of the top in any 

 one season as this results in a rank growth of new wood and 

 practically no fruit the following year. As peach trees age 

 we find they are able to carry less fruiting wood unless they 

 are on strong land or are kept well supplied with nitrogenous 

 fertilizers. Even under the latter conditions it pays to 

 reduce the tops of old trees, as the quality of the fruit will 

 thereby be improved. 



" In our experience, very severe pruning commonly called 

 ' dehorning ' is apt to be followed by bad results and accom- 

 plishes no purpose that cannot be better accomplished by 

 the more moderate method described above. Dehorning 

 largely destroys the framework of the tree and leaves ugly 



