214 AMERICAN GARDENER. 



give directions for pruning and forming the 

 tree. Peaches are propagated by budding. The 

 stock should be of plum, for the reasons given 

 in Paragraph 281. The tree is to be planted, 

 agreeably to the directions in Paragraphs 282 to 

 288. And now for the pruning and forming the 

 tree. Look at PLATE IV. Jig 2, and Jig 3. 

 The first is a peach tree such as I would have it 

 at four or five years old; the last is a peach tree 

 such as we generally see at that age. The prac- 

 tice is to plant the tree, and to let it grow in its 

 own way. The consequence is, that, in a few 

 years, it runs up to a long naked stem with two 

 or three long naked limbs, having some little 

 weak boughs at the tops, and, the tree being top- 

 heavy, is, nineteen times out of twenty, leaning 

 on one side ; and, it presents, altogether, a figure 

 by no means handsome in itself or creditable to 

 the owner. This is/?g- 3. Now, to have Jig 2, 

 the following is the way. The tree should, in 

 the first place, be budded very near to the ground. 

 -After it be planted, cut it down to within a foot 

 and a half of the ground, and always cut sloping 

 close to a bud. In this foot and a half, there 

 will be many buds, and they will, the first sum- 

 mer, send out many shoots. Now, when shoots 

 begin to appear, rub them all off but three ', leave 

 the top one and one on each side, at suitable 

 distance lower down. These will in time become 

 limbs. The next year, top the ujiright shoot 

 (that came out of the top bud) again so as to 

 bring out other horizontal limbs, pointing in a 

 different direction from those that come out the 

 last year. Thus the tree will get a spread. 

 After this, you must keep, down the aspiring 



