A M Y 



A M Y 



the lower part of the wall will, he think?, be ktt 

 naked ; besides, these strong shoots exhaust the 

 tree of its strensith, and never produce good 

 wood, if neglected to be topped in the sum- 

 mer. He reeonnnends the culling out all 

 such shoots when the trees are pruned in the 

 spring, and to leave only the line kind bearing 

 wood, which is easilv known by its having two 

 small leaves where the flower-buds are to be the 

 following year, while the strong slioots have one 

 leaf-bud only at each eye, constantly taking care 

 to lay the branches as horizontally as possible, 

 which will check the growth of the shoots, 

 and, at the same time, make the wood much 

 finer, and more fit for bearing the succeeding 

 year. All the useless side-shoots tliat cainiot be 

 nailed in against the wall should invari.i!)lv be 

 rubbed off, leaving only the best, w hich must be 

 laid in about three inches apart. 



Much attention is likew ise recommended to 

 the picking off all the side-shools that come out 

 near the tops of the branches; as, when left, 

 they weaken the fruit-bearing branches for the 

 ensuing year. This is best performed as soon as 

 they can be laid hold of by the linger and thumb, 

 for w hen suffered to grow strong they hurt the 

 fruit-bcarino; shoots very much. 



In the old trees, where thev run up to the top 

 of the walls, leaving three-fourths of them nearlv 

 naked, the best wav, according to the same 

 w riter, is to cut them as iar back as any young 

 shoots or buds can be found. Some young shoots 

 or buds must always be left on peach-trees, 

 otherwise the life of them will be endangered. 

 They should never be headed down in the manner 

 of the apricot, apple, or pear-tree. If peach-trees 

 are headed down, without attending to these cau- 

 tiors,a great risk is run of killing them; but where 

 there are a few voung shoots the top may with 

 safety be cut off just above them, as ttiey will lead 

 tlie sap up, and produce strong branches, w hich 

 ^hould be topped in the same w ay as young trees 

 that are intended to lill the walls. 



JNIr. Forsvth funhcr observes, that it is al- 

 ways more difficult to procure new wood from 

 old peach-trees than from any others, except 

 nectarines. He has often made incisions in the 

 old branches, iibout the joint, cutting out a 

 piece from one to three inches, according to 

 their sizes. This he advises to be done in several 

 places of the tree, to furnish it with young wood ; 

 always roimding the edges where the incision is 

 made, which should be above the joint, but as 

 near to it as possible. The operation should be 

 performed in the month of April ; but not unless 

 some young shoots are perceived to make their 

 appearance ; which, when they are about three 

 or four inches long, cut off the old branch, by 



which means the fresh young wood will make a 

 rapid progress the lirsl summer, and in the fol- 

 lowing year line fruit will be produced on them. 



The use of his composition is constantly ad- 

 vised where old branches arc cut off, and care 

 should be taken to round the edires. 



It becomes necessary, aecorcnng to the same 

 horticulturist, about tiie latter end of April, to 

 look over the trees asain, and rub otVw hat super- 

 fluous J'ore-righl shoots have remained from go- 

 ing over them the first lime. If ihe trees were 

 examined once every fortnight it would, lie 

 thinks, be the better, as by such means they 

 would be kept in more jierfect ord-.r. He has so 

 accustomed himself to look over trees, that 

 he does it as he walk* aljoul his ordinary busi- 

 ness, which saves much lime. 



The principal object, or that of bearing fruit, 

 is, according to some, best effected by shorten- 

 ing each year's branches in the winter prunings, 

 as by this means they are made to afford both 

 a supply of bearing wood and a crop of fruit, the 

 year old slioots most generally affording the 

 greatest supply. 



The general summer prunings arc, by some, 

 chiefly directed to the reforming of irregularities 

 in the numerous shoots produced ; but the winter 

 prunings, to the reforming of the branches of 

 all ages, sizes and situations, and to the render- 

 ing the trees healthy, beautiful, and ]iroduelivc. 



Niii/iiig. — As the pruning advances the nailing 

 should be performed, in which operation great 

 regularity should be observed in laying the 

 branches in a horizontal direction, having the 

 extremities very little raised above the part irom 

 whence it takes its direction, the degrees of ob- 

 liquity being as little as the nature of the situa- 

 tion will allow. The shoots should likewise be 

 placed at such suitable distances from each other, 

 as that, when the leaves are fully expanded, they 

 may have suflieicnt room to stand without shading 

 the branches in too great a degree. These last 

 should never be nailed in an upright, where 

 it is possible to give them any other direc- 

 tion, as, in such cases, they are liable to send off 

 shoots from the hii;hest eyes, and leave the infe- 

 rior parts of the shoots quite naked. If too 

 much wood has been left, it must cither be cut 

 out altogether, or to au eye, for the purpose 

 of a shoot the succeeding year. 



Mr. Forsvth advises that care should be taken 

 not to let the shoots get loo long before they are 

 tacked to the wall, lest they should be broken by 

 the wind. He docs not, however, approve of 

 nailing the youns wood too soon ; for, by so 

 doing, the heat ofihe sun is apt to occasion them 

 to arow too fast. 



Bv savinc; some of the larcest and straightest 



