PRUNING ORANGE AND PEACH 315 



room for the vigorous ones. High heading is 

 practiced by some growers. It is open to the 

 general objection to high heading (see discussions 

 on pages 193-203, and page 216). The natural 

 form of the orange tree is undoubtedly superior 

 so long as the tree is not persecuted by pests, 

 and is in a situation where natural conditions 

 favor it. When it is beset by evils its treatment 

 may have to be changed to aid in conquering 

 them."* 



For discussion of the treatments to be given 

 frozen orange trees, see pages 146-149. 



Peach 



The peach usually bears on the shoots of the 

 previous year; therefore, heading -in thins the 

 fruit. Heading -in also induces a growth of new 

 shoots, and thereby increases the fruit -bearing 

 wood. Heading -in is also advantageous in re- 

 moving winter -injured twigs. Notwithstanding 

 these advantages, heading -in of the peach is a 

 question of local application and of training the 

 top to some given form. It is more generally 

 practiced on heavy lands on which the trees grow 

 exuberantly than on sandy lands. The writer 

 believes that heading -in is less essential to peach - 

 growing in North America than the literature of 



*Wicksou, "California Fruits," 449. 



