52 



PLANTING THE OKCHARD. 



There is, perhaps, less variation in size and form of tree in the 

 ditt'erent kinds of Peaches than with other fruit trees, and the 

 distance of planting is more uniform. For unpruned trees (those 

 not headed-in), the distance should be eighteen by eighteen, or 

 twenty by twenty feet. If the tree is to be kept headed-In, which 

 is advisable, ten by fifteen, or twelve and one-half by twelve and 

 one-half feet will be sufficient. 



Planting. — The tree shoidd be prepared for planting in the 

 same way as the apple, except that it may be advisable to cut off 

 all the laterals to allow a new head to form upon a clean stem 

 three or four feet high. In pruning up in this way to a " stick," 

 carj must be taken not to cut off the buds at the base of each 

 shoot, as the proper formation of the head depends upon having 

 buds well distributed along the main cane. Having the branches 

 distributed along the axis, as is illustrated in Fig. 14, Page 15, is 

 more important in the case of the Peach than with any other fruit 

 tree, as the wood is- very brittle and easily broken by the weight 

 of fruit. 



Transplanting, training and pruning are the same as described 

 for the apple. An amiual prmiing, however, should be given, 

 consisting of cutting back the last season's growth one-half in the 

 fall or winter to keep the tree in close, compact form, as is shown 



by the dotted line a, b, Fig. 43. This is rendered necessary by 

 the natural tendency of the tree to grow only at the ends, pro- 

 ducing few or no new laterals each year and resulting in the 

 condition illustrated by Fig. 44, unless corrected. 



Cultivation and Manuring. — This subject, as discussed un- 

 der head of The Apple, may be applied to the Peach. In the ap- 

 plication of manure or fertilizer to any fruit crop, and to those 

 especially like the Peach and pear, that are liable to injury from 

 cold and other causes, great caution must be used. No tree can 

 be expected to produce a large crop of fruit without a liberal 

 supply of food. The farmer never expects to get a large or pay- 

 ing crop of corn or potatoes from land unless he applies from 



