268 THE STONE FRUITS 



much wood should be removed or howmuch of the remainder 

 should be cut back. Some authoritie^gfaim about three-fifths 

 of the wood is the proper amount toTemove. The heavier 

 pruning should be done earlier in the spring while the light 

 pruning should be done later, probably after danger of frost 

 is past. The fruit should be kept as near the ground as 

 possible, which can be regulated to a great degree by pruning. 

 The fruiting wood can usually be forced to develop closer to 

 the ground if the top is cut back. As the trees grow older the 

 dehorning of the plant is often profitable. In dehorning the 

 tree the entire top is cut off, leaving only stubs remaining. 

 The stubs will throw out many branches which will form a new 

 top. A few of the branches should be pruned out. This 

 practice lengthens the life of the tree. 



Harvesting. — The time of harvesting the peach is deter- 

 mined by the distance to the market and the variety. The 

 tender skinned varieties will have to be picked sooner than the 

 tough skinned sorts. In most cases the peach is picked while 

 the one side of the fruit still shows a little green, particularly 

 if it is to be shipped any distance. For home consumption 

 the fruit should remain on the tree until it is ripe but still 

 firm, so that the halves will not mash when they are cooked. 

 Many varieties are very delicate and must be picked at a 

 certain stage or there will be a loss from overripeness. 

 Experience is the best guide for determining the proper 

 picking time. 



The careful handling of the fruit is necessary in order to 

 avoid bruising. The fruit should be placed in the shade until 

 it is hauled to the packing shed. A specially constructed 

 wagon should be provided in order not to jar and bruise 

 the fruit. 



There are several styles of packages. The different pack- 

 ages are usually characteristic of the peach-growing regions. 

 The bushel basket, the half-bushel basket, the Georgia 

 carrier and the six-basket crate are the most common types. 

 The Georgia carrier and the six-basket crate are extensively 

 used by some growers, but the bushel basket is perhaps the 

 most widely employed. The ease of handling the bushel 

 basket is no doubt the reason for its general use. 



