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the lower part of the wall will, he thinks, be left 

 naked; besides, these strong shoots exhaust the 

 tree of its strength, and never produce good 

 wood, if neglected to be topped in the sum- 

 mer. He recommends the cutting out all 

 such shoots when the trees are pruned in the 

 spring, and to leave only the fine kind bearing- 

 wood, which is easily known by its having two 

 small leaves where the flower-buds are to be the 

 following year, while the strong shoots have one 

 leaf-bud only at each eye, constantly taking care 

 to lay the branches as horizontally as possible, 

 which will check the growth of the shoots, 

 and, at the same time, make the wood much 

 finer, and more fit for bearing the succeeding 

 year. All the useless side-shoots that cannot be 

 nailed in against the wall should invariably be 

 rubbed oft", leaving only the best, which must be 

 laid in about three inches apart. 



Much attention is likewise recommended to 

 the picking off all the side-shoots that come out 

 near the tops of the branches; as, when left, 

 they weaken the fruit-bearing branches for the 

 ensuing year. This is best performed as soon as 

 they can be laid hold of by the finger and thumb, 

 for when suffered to grow strong they hurt the 

 fruit-bearing shoots very much. 



In the old trees, where they run up to the top 

 of the walls, leaving three-fourths of them nearlv 

 naked, the best way, according to the same 

 writer, is to cut them as far back as any young- 

 shoots or buds can be found. Some young shoots 

 or buds must always be left on peach-trees, 

 otherwise the life or them will be endangered. 

 They should never be headed down in the manner 

 of the apricot, apple, or pear-tree. If peach-trees 

 are headed down, without attending to these cau- 

 tior.s, a great risk is run of killing them ; but where 

 there are a few young shoots the top may with 

 safety be cut off just above them, as they will lead 

 the sap up, and produce strong branches, which 

 should be topped in the same way as young trees 

 that are intended to fill the walls. 



Mr. Forsyth further observes, that it is al- 

 ways more difficult to procure new wood from 

 old peach-trees than from any others, except 

 nectarines. He has often made incisions in the 

 old branches, about the joint, cutting out a 

 piece from one to three inches, according to 

 their sizes. This he advises to be done in several 

 places of the tree, to furnish it with voung w ood ; 

 always rounding the edges where the incision is 

 made, which should be above the joint, but as 

 near to it as possible. The operation should be 

 performed in the month of April ; but not unless 

 some young shoots are perceived to make their 

 appearance ; which, when they are about three 

 or four inches long, cut off the old branch, by 



AMY 



which means the fresh young wood will make a 

 rapid progress the first summer, and in the fol- 

 lowing year fine fruit will be produced on them. 



The use of his composition is constantly ad- 

 vised where old branches are cut off, and care 

 should be taken to round the edges. 



It becomes necessary, according to the same 

 horticulturist, about the latter end of April, to 

 look over the trees again, and rub off what super- 

 fluous fore-right shoots have remained from go- 

 ing over them the first time. If the trees were 

 examined once every fortnight it would, he 

 thinks, be the better, as by such means they 

 would be kept in more perfect order. He has so 

 accustomed himself to look over trees, that 

 he does it as he walks about his ordinary busi- 

 ness, which saves much time. 



The principal object, or that of bearing fruit, 

 is, according to some, best effected by shorten- 

 ing each year's branches in the winter primings, 

 as'by this means they are made to afford both 

 a supply of bearing wood and a crop of fruit, the 

 year old shoots most generally affording the 

 greatest supply. 



The general summer primings are, by some, 

 chiefly directed to the reforming of irregularities 

 in the numerous shoots produced ; but the winter 

 prunings, to the reforming of the branches of 

 all ages, sizes and situations, and to the render- 

 ing the trees healthy, beautiful, and productive. 



"Nailing. — As the'pruning advances the nailing 

 should he performed, in which operation great 

 regularity should be observed in laying the 

 branches in a horizontal direction, having the 

 extremities very little raised above the part from 

 whence it takes its direction, the degrees of ob- 

 liquity being as little as the nature of the situa- 

 tion will allow. The shoots should likewise be 

 placed at such suitable distances from each other, 

 as that, when the leaves are fully expanded, they 

 may have sufficient room to stand without shading 

 the branches in too great a degree. These last 

 should never be nailed in an upright, where 

 it is possible to give them any other direc- 

 tion, as, in such cases, they are liable to send off 

 shoots from the highest eyes, and leave the infe- 

 rior parts of the shoots quite naked. If too 

 much wood lias been left, it must either be cut 

 out altogether, or to an eye, for the purpose 

 of a shoot the succeeding year. 



Mr. Forsyth advises that care should be taken 

 not to let the shoots get too long before they are 

 tacked to the wall, lest they should be broken by 

 the wind. He does not, however, approve of 

 nailing the young wood too soon ; for, by so 

 doing, the heat of the sun is apt to occasion them 

 to grow too fast. 



By saving some of the largest and straighlest 

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