SHAPING THE PEACH TREE 245 



PRUNING THE PEACH 



As has already been stated, the peach will carry a top of great 

 fruiting longevity if the grower will do justice to the tree by regu- 

 lar shortening of the growth and forcing out new wood, upon which 

 alone fruit is found. Not only does regular pruning do this, but it 

 promotes longevity and vigor in the framework of the tree upon 

 which these bearing shoots come. Left unpruned, the peach soon 

 becomes bark-bound, and the bark itself becomes hardened and 

 brittle. Lower shoots are apt to dwindle, and the tree becomes an 

 umbrella of foliage and fruit held aloft by bare branches bark- 

 burned by the sun, invaded by borers, exuding gum, covered with 

 moss and lichens a picture of distress and unprofitability because 

 its owner does not give the tree a chance to re-invigorate itself with 

 large fresh leaves from the new wood which alone can carry them. 



Vase-Form with Continuous Leaders. The common vase form 

 of the peach tree is amply described in Capter XII, where it is 

 used to illustrate the development of the prevailing California 

 method of shaping fruit trees. Recently there has appeared a dif- 

 ferent form which, though not new, is being given local names. It 

 consists in building the tree with continuous ribs or leaders, a va- 

 riation in the vase-form which has been used in Europe for centu- 

 ries, perhaps. The following very clear account of it is prepared by 

 Mr. C. F. Collins, horticultural commissioner of Tulare County : 



Another method of vase form, known locally as the Sims method, has 

 been practiced for many years by William Sims, of Farmerville, and is 

 now practiced by the California Fruit Canners' Association in its large or- 

 chard near here, by Hunt Bros, in their orchards near Exeter, and by 

 many individual growers in that vicinity. The trees are cut back to 18 

 inches at planting, and at the first winter's pruning four or five of the most 

 upright-growing branches are left to form the head. These are cut to a 

 uniform height and as great a length as the season's growth will allow. 

 On a vigorous tree this will be about 6 feet. All laterals are removed 

 from these. 



The second winter retain one strong upright branch emerging from 

 near the end of each branch of previous season's growth, and remove all 

 laterals from the tree larger than a lead pencil. Top these main branches 

 at a uniform height of 10 or 12 feet from the ground, according to the 

 growth made. Sometimes a lateral is allowed to grow from one of these 

 main limbs to fill in an open space in the outline of the tree. At the end 

 of the second winter's pruning, we have a low-headed tree with four or five 

 main branches 10 or 12 feet long, and so upright that the tree is only 6 or 

 7 feet across the top. Enough small laterals are left for abundant shade. 

 After this each season remove all large laterals, leaving only the small 

 fruiting wood, and cut this back to the required amount. 



Some of the claims made for this system are that no propping is re- 

 quired to support the limbs, and as these are so nearly perpendicular in 

 growth the orchard is more easily worked close to the trees and the trees 

 are more easily kept down to a proper height than when pruned by the 

 ordinary method. This system certainly works admirably in the sections 

 where it is used, and in my opinion, on true peach soil, where the trees 

 are vigorous and grow large, strong limbs, it is far superior to the old 

 vase form, but it is a question if it would prove as satisfactory in many of 

 our orchards where the trees make a more feeble growth, and especially 

 with a tree of as slender a growth as the Muir. Of course, with a less 

 vigorous tree it might require three or even four years to get the tree to 

 a proper height by this method. 



