194 Peach-Growing 



stubs which invite decay, thus shortening the life of the tree. 

 Furthermore this radical type of pruning may kill the tree 

 outright especially if the pruning follows winter injury. 

 Many of the trees which do survive start off stronger from 

 one point than another and do not develop well-balanced 

 tops. The rank growth following bears few fruit-buds and 

 a year's fruiting is lost. These observations are based on 

 the experience of the writer in Michigan following the severe 

 winter of 1898-1899 and in West Virginia following the 

 February freeze of 1912. In both instances we made 

 pruning tests and the trees pruned moderately gave better 

 results subsequently, both in point of tree growth and 

 fruitage than unpruned trees and very decidedly better 

 results than dehorned trees. In fact about 25 per cent 

 of the dehorned trees died the following season in each 

 instance. 



" In recent years we have tried to hit on a plan of pruning 

 old peach trees which will make heavy cutting unnecessary, 

 the idea being that if just the right amount of wood is taken 

 off each season the vigor of the tree and size of fruit will be 

 kept up year after year within reasonable limits and severe 

 pruning will not be necessary. In following out this idea 

 we have thinned out the current yearns growth thoroughly 

 and headed in the remaining twigs closely. We have also 

 given special attention to preserving and encouraging the 

 development of fruiting wood low down on the framework 

 of the tree to offset the tendency of an old peach tree to pro- 

 duce practically all its fruit on the terminals of long pole-like 

 branches. We have made some progress with this plan but 

 have not been able to do away with moderately heavy 

 pruning entirely. I believe, however, this would be a safe 

 ideal toward which to work and coupled with proper applica- 



