380 SOME SPECIFIC MODES OF TRAINING 



are points at which side shoots are pinched back. Fig. 247 

 shows the winter pruning on the two -year -old tree. S, 

 points at which all side shoots are to be cut. 1, 2, 3, buds 

 which are to receive cross-cuts. St, the bud destined to 

 lengthen the stem; it must be above the point of last 

 year's cut, as at O; St, up to *, the new stub; i, point at 

 which the shoot is cut. 



"In the stone fruits, the wood which has borne dies off, 

 and it is necessary to have new bearing wood each year. 

 We must, therefore, prune in such a manner that con- 

 tinually new bearing wood for the next year is formed. 

 Therefore, on every fruiting branch of a peach there should 

 be two leaf-buds at its base as a reserve. On the branches 

 of the peach are found buds of varying appearance, thick 

 roundish, and thin pointed. The former are 'flower-buds 

 and the latter leaf-buds. It happens at times that a flower- 

 bud stands alone, generally on thin bearing branches, and 

 again that a leaf-bud stands alone, as on strong shoots and 

 young stems. We may also find a flower-bud and a leaf- 

 bud or two flower-buds united, and finally a pointed leaf- 

 bud between two round flower-buds. Our peach trees are 

 therefore cut for the first time in the early spring, when 

 even the beginner can distinguish flower and leaf -buds. 

 On many strong branches nothing but leaf-buds are found, 

 on single, thin fruit branches again only flower-buds. The 

 latter, we may as well mention here, are the worst, as they 

 must die from lack of leaf -buds. The best fruit branches 

 are studded with triple and double buds, and have at their 

 base some simple leaf-buds. The majority of fruit 

 branches have only simple and double buds and at the point 

 a leaf -bud. Excellent fruit -bearers are the very short 

 cluster spurs but a few centimeters long. These have at 

 their tip a whole bouquet of flower-buds and a leaf-bud in 

 the center, and these are not pruned. Our task is, then, to 

 keep the shortest possible branches, and allow those to bear 

 fruit which have leaf-buds above their flowers, in order to 



