A M Y 



AMY 



nude from the few eyes that were left, such 

 should be rubbed oft' as come out either in front 

 or back of the branches, retaining the lateral ones 

 only, which, as they arrive at sufficient length, 

 as about June, should be nailed to the fence, and re- 

 main during the summer without being shortened. 



When the leaves have fallen, about November, 

 or in the following March, the first winter-pru- 

 ning may be performed, which should be done 

 according to the number of shoots produced 

 from the" heading down : if there be two shoots, 

 one on each side, they may both be retained, 

 being cut to eight, ten, or more inches, in pro- 

 portion to their strength, to promote a further 

 supply of wood, nailing them to the fence in a 

 horizontal direction. If there are three shoots, 

 and the middle one regularly placed, it should be 

 put in an upright direction ; if four, two should be 

 trained on each side, equal number, strength, 

 and regularity at this period, being chiefly to be 

 attended to. 



In the second year's summer pruning, the 

 (hoots should but in few instances be shortened ; 

 •nd all such as proceed from the horizontal 

 branches of the former year preserved and train- 

 ed, except the. fore-right shoots, which should 

 be rubbed off as useless. 



The pruning the second winter should be done 

 about the same period as the first ; the weak 

 shoots should be removed, and the branches pre- 

 served in as much regularity and uniformity as 

 possible as to number and size, shortening them 

 as above directed. 



Mr. Forsyth advises, in the first year, when 

 the leading shoot is very strong, to pinch off the 

 top of it about the beginning of June, which 

 will make it throw out some fine strong shoots, 

 to help to fill the walls. None of the shoots 

 *hould, he thinks, be suffered to grow too long 

 during the first and second years; which may al- 

 ways be prevented by pinching the ends of them ; 

 but they should never be topped when the tree 

 sends out fine kind shoots, till the spring follow- 

 ing, when they may be pruned according to the 

 strength of the tree, and the quantity of wood 

 it has made during the preceding summer, 

 leaving the shoots from six to twelve inches 

 long; by which means the lower parts of the 

 walls wdl soon be able to be filled. It is, he 

 observes, too common a practice to lay in the 

 6hoots at full length, taking off only the points 

 of the branches, wbich generally, after a few 

 years, leaves the walls quite naked : whereas, if 

 attention were paid to the training, especially for 

 the first four years, the walls might always be 

 filled with fine bearing wood from top to bottom, 

 and the trees produce a great deal more fruit, 

 and of a much liner quality than when they are 



run up in the former way ; for those trees, in 

 general, are so weak that they have not strength 

 to bear good fruit. The third year, if care be 

 taken to manage the trees properly in summer, 

 they may be brought into a bearing state. If the 

 ground be strong, they will grow very vigorously; 

 in which case, pinch all the strong shoots about 

 the month of June, which will make them throw 

 out side-shoots ; these, if not laid in too thick, 

 will make fine bearing wood for the succeeding 

 year. If the strong shoots be suffered to grow 

 to their full length, they will be large and spon- 

 gy, and will neither produce fruit nor good wood 

 for the following year. Weak shoots should, 

 he thinks, never be nailed, although they may 

 be full of blossom, as they never bear good fruit. 

 Sometimes weakly trees are covered over with blos- 

 som; but if toomuch fruit be suffered to remain 

 on them, they will be weakened so much that 

 they will never recover. In that case he would 

 recommend picking off the greater part of the 

 fruit, to let the tree recover its strength. When 

 trees are pruned in the above state, he cautions gar- 

 deners never to prune at a single flower-bud ; as if 

 thatbethecase it is sure to kilFthe shoot; or, itwill 

 at least die, or be destroyed as far as the wood- 

 bud which is nearest to it. 



In pruning, where attention is bestowed, some 

 shoots, and sometimes whole trees, are, he says, 

 found with nothing but single flower-buds. These 

 sorts of shoots should be laid in at full length, 

 and always attend to the next branch that has 

 got some wood-buds, and cut it close, that it 

 may produce fine wood to supply the place of 

 those that have only flower-buds, which may be 

 cut out the year following. 



At the period when peach-trees come into a 

 bearing state, there will, in general, be seen two 

 flower-buds close together, and in looking be- 

 tween these flower-buds, what is termed a wood- 

 bud may be seen ; the cutting should constantly 

 be performed at these double buds, as the shoots 

 which bear fruit the following year come out 

 from between them. 



The proper form for bearing being thus attained, 

 the trees may be preserved and kept in order 

 by requisite summer and winter pruning. 



Mr. Forsyth, however, observes, that when the 

 trees come into a bearing state, they may be kept 

 in a flourishing condition by proper management 

 and attention to the summer pruning. It has 

 often been his practice to top the strong shoots 

 twice in the course of the summer, before he 

 could get them to produce fine kind bearing 

 wood, having often had shoots that grew, in the 

 course of one summer, upwards ot six feet in 

 length, and as thick as his thumb. If such 

 shoots as these be laid in near their full length, 



