PRUNING AND TRAINING. 39 



ill- formed buds, which are only succeeded the following 

 year by a weak and languishing vegetation. 



When the ramifications of the tree have arrived at 

 their second year, the buds that are still undeveloped 

 will remain so, except under the influence of very close 

 pruning. Peaches seldom yield to this operation. 



It is necessary, therefore, to prune so as to determine 

 the development of these dormant buds upon the branch 

 extensions, and to take care of the shoots which result 

 therefrom. Without this precaution the middle part 

 of the tree might remain bare and unproductive, and 

 there would soon be no remedy, for it is impossible to 

 develop buds that have remained long dormant. We 

 obtain the development of all such buds by cutting 

 away each year a certain portion of the new extensions 

 of the wood. 



The yearly extensions of wood should be shortened more 

 or less, as the branches approach a vertical line, or the 

 contrary. 



The sap acting upwards from the base of the tree, if 

 a branch grows in a vertical direction, the buds remain 

 dormant upon two-thirds of its length from the base. 

 To prevent this, it is necessary to suppress at least 

 one-half the length of this branch. If it is inclined to 

 an angle of 45 degrees, the sap acts with less force 

 upon the buds at the upper part of the branch, but it 

 will develop much too great a number at the same 

 time ; only the lower third of the branch will remain 

 unfurnished with buds. It will be sufficient in this 

 case to suppress only a third part of the branch. 



