174 THE MANAGEMENT OF [CHAP. vn. 



no pit is dug, but the roots are carefully spread 

 out on the surface of the border (all injured 

 parts being cut out), and then covered three 

 inches deep with soil. Peach trees are seldom 

 planted against the wall where they are to 

 remain, till they have been two, three, or four 

 years trained ; and they are generally removed 

 at the latter end of October, or the beginning 

 of November, just as the leaf begins to fall. 

 They are best trained in the fan manner ; and, 

 as they always bear their fruit on shoots of a 

 year old, these shoots must be left on in prun- 

 ing, and the old wood cut out. The trees 

 should be pruned at two seasons, viz. winter 

 and summer : the winter pruning is performed 

 either at the fall of the leaf, or in the beginning 

 of February, and consists of cutting out or 

 shortening the old wood or barren branches ; 

 and the summer pruning, which consists chiefly 

 of what is called disbudding (that is, rubbing 

 off the buds as soon as they appear), should be 

 applied to the removal of all shoots growing 

 right out from the wall (and which, conse- 

 quently, could not be well trained), or which 

 appear otherwise to be improperly placed. 

 Experienced gardeners also look over the blos- 

 som buds, as soon as they show themselves, 

 and thin them out, without allowing the tree to 

 waste its strength in forming fruit which it can 

 never ripen, and which is of no use in its green 

 state. The disbudding is easily performed ; 

 and watching the trees, to find when it will be 

 necessary, affords a constant source of interest. 

 Thinning the blossoms is rather more difficult; 

 but, with a little practice, a lady could do it 



