CHAP. V VILLA GARDENING 261 



ripened, aud there is an equal number of shoots on each side, very 

 little heading back will be required, only removing the uuripe points 

 of the shoots, cutting to a wood bud, as the disbudding which 

 peaches are submitted to will always equalise the How of sap. As 

 a rule that mode of training is best which satisfies us most, for it 

 is certain that anything we are prejudiced against will not succeed 

 in our hands. Fan training is the system generally selected for 

 stone fruits, and that shape is generally given to them in the 

 nurseries ; it possesses one great advantage in oftering facilities for 

 filHug up vacancies when a branch dies. But the very principle 

 which is thus an advantage is also, in most people's hands, a dis- 

 advantage, because it permits (I had almost said encourages) that 

 overci'owdiug of branches which is the bane of stone-fruit culture 

 on walls. Other systems of training are the horizontal pure and 

 simple, aud the horizontal with an upward tendency. I find the 

 latter plan to answer well. The young trees were bought in as 

 maidens, planted without heading down, the main shoot was 

 trained up vertically, aud the side shoots laid in with a rise of one 

 foot in six. The bottom of the wall will be the weak place, as it 

 is in all kinds of training, but the ditficulty is not felt in the case 

 of young trees ; and as the trees grow older the difliculty must be 

 met by dropping down the main branches of the tree and opening 

 the centre. This will be required sometimes, no matter how the 

 trees are trained. 



Disbudding. — The Peach bears its fruit on the young wood 

 of the previous year, and in order to have the wood strong and 

 well ripened it must be thinly placed on the tree, hence the 

 absolute necessity for disbudding. There will probably always be 

 a difi"erence of opinion as to the best time to do so important an 

 operation. Some say, Disbud as early as possible, for a tree sufiers 

 less when its shoots can be rubbed oft' very early, leaving little or 

 no scar behind. Others say. Leave the young shoots on for a time 

 to shelter the young fruit in our cold springs. For myself I like 

 to begin disbudding early, but should not think of doing the work 

 dm'ing a spell of cold weather. Of two evils choose the least, 

 and I think if the disbudding is done early — during, say, a week's 

 genial weather — no great check Avill be given or harm done. It is 

 better to do the work tentatively. Say, first, we go over the trees 

 and remove all foreright shoots, which perhaps I need not explain 

 are those that grow straight from the front of the branch ; and 

 as these will be of no use to lay in, they should be removed early. 

 In disbudding the side shoots it will, or at least should, be 

 kept constantly in mind that the healthiest and best one at 

 the base of each of the present bearing shoots should be left 



