SUMMER CARE OF PLANTATION 



65 



The Plum (Fig. 40) and the Apricot bear 

 their blossom buds partly on spurs and partly 

 on young growths, but in more varying propor- 

 tions than with the Cherry. 



The Peach is different. It produces some 

 blossoms on wiry growths in the interior and on 

 the lower parts of branches, but these growths 

 live only a few years. By far the largest part of 

 the blossoms are borne beside branch buds on 

 growths of the previous season (Fig. 42). They 

 can be easily recognized, first because of their 

 position and second because of their roundness. 

 Normally a blossom bud is on each side of a 

 wood bud. 



Never prune or break off spurs unless there 

 are too many or they are failing, because a spur 

 removed is gone forever. On the other hand, 

 always cut back Peach twigs severely often 50 

 to 75 per cent. Unless you do the tree will extend 

 farther and farther out and become more and 

 more likely to breakage each year because of the 

 increased leverage. Again, such cutting will also 

 concentrate the fruit-bearing area in the reduced 



Fig. 43. Quince flowers are always terminal on 



twigs of this year's growth. Notice mummy of 



last year's fruit 



Fig. 42:-Peach bios- 

 soms as normally borne 



space and thus also re- 

 duce the amount of thin- 

 ning of the fruit that 

 must be done in Mid- 

 summer. 



The Quince is dif- 

 ferent again. It bears its- 

 blossoms at the ends of 

 new growths that spring 

 from buds that have win- 

 tered over (Fig. 43). 



