Pruning Peach Trees 195 



tions of nitrogenous fertilizers it is possible the idea might 

 be carried out to a successful conclusion. 



"For the past six years we have been testing out the plan 

 of rejuvenating peach trees by cutting back moderately 

 heavy a section of the top each year over a period of about 

 four years. The first year about one-fourth of the top is 

 treated, the next year another fourth, and so on, until the 

 whole top is pruned. The pruning is not done over the 

 entire top each season but is restricted each time to a limited 

 section of the top. The first year there is very little growth 

 from the treated section, but the next year after another 

 section has been pruned, the quarter first pruned makes a 

 good growi:h and sets an abundance of fruit-buds. This 

 method does not cause the loss of a crop at any time while 

 the treatment is in progress as is the case when the dehorning 

 treatment is used. However we have not found this system 

 so satisfactory as that of giving the entire top a moderately 

 heavy pruning all at one operation when it becomes apparent 

 that the trees are losing vigor." 



In the pruning of trees with the various objects in mind 

 that have been enumerated, it is often as important to know 

 what not to do as what to do. The following illustrations 

 teach some important practical lessons in pruning peach 

 trees. 



In Plate XVII (top) is shown an extreme type of poor prun- 

 ing yet one that is not very uncommon. The outer portion of 

 the tree has not been well thinned out, and the smaller, second- 

 ary growth has been entirely pruned off from a considerable 

 portion of each of the main limbs instead of being utilized 

 to develop fruit-bearing branches in the center, where its 

 weight can best be supported without breaking the tree. 

 With the bearing wood largely developed toward the outer 



