HOW TO GET LARGE PEACHES 247 



Spur Pruning Peaches. Peach varieties vary in their tendency 

 to set fruit buds close to the base of new growth. On this charac- 

 teristic depends to a considerable extent, the severity of pruning 

 back new growth. F. C. Dyer, of Ontario, has spur-bearing Lemon 

 clings, looking almost as rough as pear trees. They bear fruit buds 

 to the very base of the new growth. If the trees are old, not over a 

 few inches of growth are added to the spurs each year beyond the 

 fruits, though two or three feet of last season's growth are cut out 

 of the tops. This lack of vegetative vigor makes it desirable to 

 shorten back the spurs to not over three fruit buds, since only one 

 fruit is desired per spur and since such winter pruning on such old 

 trees does not induce too vigorous wood growth. This is somewhat 

 true of the down-turning branches of most any variety. All the 

 fruit wood possible is developed and saved along the main limbs. 

 If spurs are too thick, they are thinned out to prevent shading the 

 rest. Practically all of the new top growth was cut off from the 

 Lemon clings. Lovells can be pruned back to spurs almost as short, 

 Muirs a little longer, while Tuscans bear fruit buds only close to 

 the tips which must be left on, or the branches thinned out. The 

 bearing habits of varieties must be observed by the grower. 



THINNING PEACHES 



Thinning out fruit on the peach tree is not only the secret of ob- 

 taining good, marketable fruit, but joins hands with pruning in pre- 

 serving the health and future production of the tree. The import- 

 ance of thinning has been urged in a previous chapter, but the fol- 

 lowing is a very strong statement, by Mr. J. P. Cane, of the Cali- 

 fornia Peach Growers the co-operative association of the produc- 

 ers of the fruit : 



The weight of fruit will be approximately the same whether the tree is 

 thinned severely, lightly or not at all, but the great advantage in thinning 

 properly is the greatly increased size of the fruit, the larger sugar content 

 and the minimum expense of harvesting and curing. The cost of thinning 

 is overcome at picking time when in handling one large peach the pickers 

 get the same weight as if they had handled four small ones. There is a 

 similar gain in time required to cut a ton onto the trays. Our records 

 show that the weight of one extra fancy dried Muir is equal to three and 

 three-quarters standard grade Muirs. 



Since size and quality are so important in dried peaches, everything 

 possible should be done to increase the diameter of the fruit. Perhaps the 

 ideal distance of peaches when properly thinned should be about two and 

 one-half times their diameter when matured. This would mean that the 

 peaches should be six to eight inches apart when thinning is complete. 

 In thinning, see that the undersized specimens, which are certain to fall 

 later, are removed, or at least allowed for, in spacing those that are to 

 remain. 



The time for thinning peaches is as soon as one can be sure which 

 are likely to remain on the tree and which will drop off of their 

 own accord. Nothing can be gained by trying to separate doubles. 

 Remove them if there are enough singles to make the crop. 



