PRUNING AND RENOVATION 113 



After the second year, attention will be given 

 merely to keeping the heads clean and open, to re- 

 moving injured and crossing branches and to the 

 general development and maintenance of whatever 

 ideal the fruit grower has set before him. 



Of course, the most precise and definite forms 

 ever given to peach trees are those developed in 

 formal fruit gardens of the European style. These 

 trees are usually dwarfs, being preferably propa- 

 gated on some species of plum stock. They are then 

 trained against walls or trellises or along wires 

 in hothouses. The fan form is the one usually 

 adopted for the peach or the nectarine, though the 

 simpler espalier forms may be developed if suffi- 

 cient care is given. However, these artificial forms 

 for the training of peach trees have little value in 

 American practice, and none whatever in commer- 

 cial peach growing. 



HEADING IN 



It is very desirable to keep the peach tree heads 

 within the smallest practicable compass. I have 

 seen large orchards of thousands of trees in full 

 bearing where the entire crop could be harvested 

 without the use of a single stepladder. This is a 

 great advantage and economy in every way. In or- 

 der to keep trees within this small compass, though, 

 it is necessary that the head should be frequently 

 and rather severely cut back. On the desirability' 

 of this point there seems to be little difference of 

 opinion, but a considerable diversity of practice in 

 the methods of securing the result. 



Many growers recommend that the annual growth 

 of the tree be headed in from one-third to one-half 

 its entire length. This is perhaps as good practice 



