PEACHES AND NECTARINES TRAINING PYRAMIDS AND STANDARDS. 87 



intact, but if they are disposed to make several joints of growth, pinch them to two 

 leaves, and to one joint afterwards. Suppress all laterals throughout the season, and 

 carefully guard against overcrowding. Young shoots must be provided every year for 

 affording fruit the next, the bearing branches being cut-in closely as soon as the fruit 

 is gathered. Trees with a dozen to eighteen bearing branches will afford two or three 

 dozens of fruit annually, and may be kept within moderate dimensions for many years. 

 With judicious and timely attention to disbudding, stopping and pruning, the trees will 

 be symmetrical, pleasing and profitable; neglect or mismanage them and they will 

 become eyesores and disappointing. 



Pyramids. A maiden tree with a straight stem 3 to 4 feet in height, and well 

 furnished with laterals from the base, is usually selected, and placed in a 10- or 11-inch 

 pot in November. The laterals are pruned in the following February to two buds, and 

 the immature wood at the top of the tree is shortened to a good bud on firm wood ; the 

 shoots that follow should be pinched at the sixth joint, and subsequent growths sup- 

 pressed, but natural spurs must remain. When leafless, the tree will be furnished with 

 shoots and spurs bristling with blossom buds. Thin the shoots early in spring, leaving 

 them at regular distances about a hand's breadth apart every way, and as nearly 

 equal in strength as possible. 



In the second season remove superfluous growths by disbudding, leaving no more 

 than can have full exposure to light for bearing fruit or furnishing the tree. After the 

 fruit is gathered, such spurs or branches as can be dispensed with should be cut out, 

 and little will remain to be done in winter beyond thinning the bearing shoots where 

 they are too crowded. Care must be taken to keep the base of the tree well furnished 

 with young shoots, removing over- luxuriant growths, so as to maintain an equality of 

 vigour in every part. 



Standards. The standard tree is the most natural form, and very productive when 

 planted in suitable soil in a large, lofty, light, airy structure, and given proper manage- 

 ment. The origination of the head is the same for a tree with an 18-inch, 3-feet, or 

 4^-feet stem, which must be straight and upright, and shortened to 3 inches above the 

 height of the stem desired. For an 18-inch stem the maiden tree should be cut down 

 to 21 inches, and all the laterals cut off close. When the buds push, rub off all but five 

 or six near the top, so that the growths from them may be equally disposed, and when 

 these have extended a few inches, select three, if weakly, or five if vigorous, and pinch 

 off the ends of all others. When the shoots that are to remain permanently have grown 



