Pruning Peach Trees 



211 



wood or spurs, good conditions are afforded for the 

 development of new growth which will bear fruit in the 

 interior of the tree. In some cases this course can be fol- 

 lowed when the fruit- 

 buds have not been 

 injured, and without 

 destroying all the fruit- 

 bearing wood of the 

 coming season. 



This type of pruning 

 should ordinarily be 

 done in the late spring 

 before growth starts. 



Renewal by heavy 

 pruning. 



A type of pruning 

 not unlike the heaviest 

 heading back discussed in the preceding section on 

 pruning winter-injured trees is sometimes practiced when 

 there is no winter injury that requires consideration. 

 If a peach tree is not well pruned, especially as to 

 proper heading, and the branches become long and slender ; 

 if, as it attains considerable age, the bearing wood, in 

 spite of the pruning which it has received, has grown 

 out of convenient reach for harvesting the fruit; or, if 

 for other reasons it becomes desirable to renew the top 

 of a tree, it may be practicable to do so, provided the trunk 

 and main limbs are sound and healthy. Renewal of the top 

 will often result in prolonging the usefulness of a peach tree 

 for several years. This operation is exemplified by several 

 of the accompanying illustrations. 



Fig. 15. — The tree in Fig. 14 after 

 receiving corrective pruning. 



