316 SOME SPECIFIC ADVICE 



the subject would lead us to believe. In the 

 commercial peach regions, trees are rarely headed- 

 in, at least not after they begin to bear. If 

 heading -in is not practiced, the chief attention 

 to be given the tree after the general frame- 

 work of the top is formed is to trim out the 

 weak and dead interior wood by means of hand- 

 shears. This fine wood dies or becomes weak 

 after bearing, and should be removed. For buds 

 and twigs, see Figs. 34, 35, 36, 37. For trees, see 

 Figs. 124, 128, 129, 143, 150, 151, 152, 163, 164, 

 184, 185, 186, 187. 



The general form of the top for a peach tree 

 has already been discussed (Fig. 124, pages 261, 

 262). The following remarks by J. H. Hale 

 will still further elucidate the subject: 



"Young peach trees allowed to grow at will all the first 

 season after setting should have their three or four leading 

 branches make a growth of from two and a half to four 

 feet each. Fall and early winter pruning has not been 

 satisfactory with us, and therefore all pruning is delayed 

 until late winter or early spring. In the earlier days it 

 was my custom, in trimming trees one year planted, to 

 cut branches back to within twelve or fifteen inches of the 

 main stem ; but as this tends to form rather a too close 

 head for the foundation year, I now prefer to leave the 

 first season's growth two and a half to three feet long. 

 and to reserve the severe shortening- in for the second, 

 third and fourth years, particularly the second and third 

 years. Besides the main branches to be cut away the first 

 year, it will be necessary to cut off some lateral branches 

 entirely and to shorten others somewhat. With liberal 



