PEACH. 



215 



vary "with the locality, soil and variety. In a general way it 

 will be found that 15x15 feet apart is about right. Some grow- 

 ers put out twice as many trees as can grow well to maturity. 

 In such cases they must be thinned out when they commence 

 to crowd one another. 



Pruning. On inferior soils, such as those of parts of the 

 peach region of Michigan and the Maryland peninsula, it is 

 customary to do but little pruning and the trees are allowed 

 to branch close to the ground and form rangy heads. On better 

 soils it is quite customary to cut back the new wood severely 

 after the tree is formed, cutting off from one-third to one-fourth 

 of the new growth and the weak wood out of the interior of the 

 tree. This thins the fruit by removing many fruit buds and 

 keeps the tree in compact form. When the trees are injured 



Fig. 101. The proper method of pruning peach trees injured in win- 

 ter, a. Before pruning, b. After pruning. 



