THE KANSAS PEACH. 17 



leaving a single straight stem, cut off at the height of one foot to 

 eighteen inches from the ground. There are many good reasons for 

 having our orchards branched this low. When the trunks are shaded 

 they are less liable to disease. With no long trunk for leverage they 

 are less liable to be blown over by storms. W^hen trained with low 

 heads, pruning, thinning and picking can be done for a tithe of the 

 expense involved where the workmen must use ladders to enable them 

 to reach the high and widely extended top. 



The planter should aim to have four or five well-developed buds 

 on the upper part of the trunk when planted, as the new branches 

 grovv from such buds more readily and vigorously than from those 

 near the base of branches that have been cut off. Three or four of 

 the branches that grow out the first season will be needed for the 

 framework of the future tree. 



By rubbing off as soon as started all superfluous shoots the grower 

 can, to some extent, economize growth, but if not rubbed off they can 

 be cut out at the first pruning after the tree has attained a year's growth. 



During the latter part of winter, before the trees start into growth, 

 all shoots not needed for the permanent head of the tree should be 

 cut out, and those left (which Bhould have attained a length of three 

 to five feet) should be cut back to two feet or two and one-half feet. 



It has been customary to cut back even shorter than this, say to 

 one foot or eighteen inches, but the tendency of such very close prun- 

 ing the first year is to have the tree too dense, its leading branches too 

 close together. Each of these main branches will the second year 

 throw out leaders, each of which will make a growth of four to six 

 feet. At the second annual loruning the first aim should be to estab- 

 a broad, low, open-headed tree. This can be accomplished by first 

 thinning out all crowding inside branches, and shortening in all 

 others from one-half to three-fourths of the year's growth, doing the 

 closest cutting in the central top. 



The third year's pruning should be on the same general plan, having 

 the same object in view, to establish a well-formed tree best suited to 

 loroduce the greatest quantity of fruit in the highest perfection. 

 Pruning must be kept up year after year, but as the trees grow older 

 less severe cutting will be required. The aim should be to avoid long, 

 bare branches that only bear fruit at the extremities and, as a conse- 

 quence, break down the trees. 



No specific set rules can be given for pruning, but every one who 

 would prune intelligently must study the characteristics of growth 

 and fruitage of the trees upon which he would use his knife. 



Pruning may be done at any time during winter, but we prefer to 

 have it done after the buds begin to swell in early spring. If done 

 —2 



