TRAINING YOUNG PEACH TREES. 



|()NSIDERABLE judgment 

 needs be exercised in the 

 training of a young tree, 

 especially a peach, as it be- 

 ing a rapid grower, it requires more 

 attention than any other of the tree 

 fruits. 



The training should begin at the 

 moment of planting and be continued 

 through the life of the tree. Growers 

 differ as regards manner of thinning, at 

 the time of transplanting, some prefer 

 trimming to a whip, while others leave 

 short spurs with one good strong bud 

 on each. Although good trees can be 

 grown by either method, the " whip 

 plan " is preferable as stronger growth is 

 more apt to be obtained. It is better to 

 grow a low head tree, the first branches 

 starting about 2 or 2)^ feet from the 

 ground. They will shade the trunks 

 from the sun, which will lessen the 

 liability to sun scald and be less subject 

 to the forces of the wind. The fruit 

 can be more easily gathered and prun- 

 ing be greatly facilitated. 



The trimming of the roots of the 

 young tree is about as important as of 

 the top. When the tree comes from 

 the nursery, the roots as well as the 

 limbs are more or less bruised The 

 machine used in digging them in the 

 nursery, will often tear the roots in a 

 severe manner. All the roots that have 

 been broken or bruised should be cut 

 off clean and the others, shortened in at 

 least X, the cutting should be from the 

 under side that the raw surface may be 

 down. The care of a tree before and at 

 transplanting, requires nothing but com- 

 mon sense to make a tree succeed. A 

 tree will suffer as much when its roots 

 are exposed to the sun and wind, as a 

 fish will when out of water. Protect 

 the roots and replace them in a position 



as near their former one as possible, 

 with the soil firm and of good quality 

 and nature will do the rest. 



It is well to have some definite plan 

 as to the shape of the top to be formed. 

 A good way is to sketch the outline of 

 the proposed form, on paper, then when 

 pruning, the plan may be carried along 

 and the tree fashioned as near to it as 

 possib'e. The trees must be watched 

 closely the first season that all shoots 

 which are not required to form the head, 

 may be removed. 



In forming the head, select four or 

 five of the strongest branches which are 

 distributed along the trunk for 12 or 16 

 inches and branch in different direc- 

 tions so that they may be evenly bal- 

 anced. The following spring the top 

 should be cut back ^, the place on the 

 limb has much to do with the formation 

 of the top. 



If a tree be inclined to grow more 

 rapidly in one direction than in another, 

 by cutting back to a leaf bud located 

 upon the inner or outer side of a branch, 

 that branch may be made to grow to- 

 wards or from the centre of the tree. I 

 had sevefal trees which had one part 

 broken off, and by this plan I was able 

 to re-grow a very evenly balanced top. 

 Each succeeding spring the cutting-back 

 should be ■ ,^ of the past season's growth, 

 this answers also as a means of thinnmg 

 the fruit when the trees come into bear- 

 ing. 



If this pl.in is followed, a block of 

 trees may be grown which will be long- 

 lived and profitable as well as a " thing 

 of beauty " to the owner. 



B. A. Woon. 



Kalamazoo Co , Mich. 



230 



