On the Management of Peach Trees. 209 



pectj) which had been root-pruned one year before, and had 

 borne a hght crop during tlie previous season, and required 

 little or no pruning. Two of these I subjected to a regular 

 course of disbudding, the whole spring and summer, leaving 

 not a single shoot or twig, that I did not want for next year's 

 crop. Not a knife was put on them, summer or winter. The 

 other two I managed much in the usual way, disbudding 

 them too, but leaving twice or thrice the quantity of wood 

 required. These were subjected to the usual operation of 

 thinning, shortening, (fcc, pretty severely ; — that season all 

 the fruit was picked off, after it had set. The following 

 spring, they flowered e/e masse. Continued the treatment as 

 before ; and, after they had set, picked all oif except 70 for 

 each tree. After the stoning was over, they were further re- 

 duced to the number of 50, upon each. After this period, a 

 difference was perceptible between the two lots of trees. On 

 asking many individuals Avhich were the best, they immedi- 

 ately pronounced in favor of the disbudded trees. Circum- 

 stances prevented me from weighing the fruit as accurately 

 as I wished, but I have no hesitation in stating that the ag- 

 gregate weight of fruit, upon the disbudded trees, was at least 

 \ more than on the two winter-pruned ones, and in every way 

 superior. Indeed, I have long been of opinion, that severe 

 winter-pruning was a violent infraction of a natural law. In 

 fact, I consider pruning, in any form, as such. It is an excep- 

 tion to a rule, in the economy of vegetable life, which habit 

 and ignorance have nearly converted into a rule itself. And 

 how many thousands are there who think it one 7 Pruning, 

 at the best, in any shape, is only a kind of indispensable ex- 

 pedient, in assisting nature. And this expedient should be 

 modified and applied in the most advantageous manner, 

 which science, combined with practical experience, can sug- 

 gest. 



Now, as regards summer-pruning, a few words must suf- 

 fice. This system of pruning has been, of late, much prac- 

 tised and recommended by many eminent cultivators, and, if 

 any difference exists between my method and others, I think 

 it will be simply a question of time and degree. From what 

 I have said in a former part of this article, it will be seen, that 

 I am one of those who hold the opinion that there exists a 



VOL. XV, NO. V. 27 



