32 CORDON TRAINING. 



what here is meant. The dotted Ihies indicate the position 

 of all future leaders, and thus E E explains how (in the case 

 of the corner tree only) a future vertical leader in the direc- 

 tion E E will ascend, and future diagonal leaders be developed 

 from this, the only vertical one, as marked F F. 



Winter Pruning. — Let us suppose that when the leaves 

 drop off from the trees there will appear two shoots on each 

 spur, each shoot composed of the various growths of this 

 season. Now the fruit will only appear on the wood of the 

 second ijcar. In this case the fruit buds nearest to the spurs 

 themselves are on this wood, and the fruit will appear at the 

 base of the spurs, and only in some cases at their top. Of 

 course the trees are very young to bear, but they will do so 

 in many cases, and if this occur, then only one or two peaches 

 must be allowed to remain on each tree. 



By the close spurring-in practised during the summer, and 

 the not having had recourse to the old and ridiculous method 

 of choosing long weak shoots for the bearing wood, the buds 

 at the base of the spurs will generally become fruitful. All 

 the fruit, if any, will appear on the bearing wood at the base. 

 The young tender laterals on the young extremity of the 

 leader, which has ascended some way upwards, must be 

 pinched down to two buds previously to this period. 



The two shoots on each spur must now be shortened in. 

 One must be left long for fruit (if possible), and the other 

 must be cut short to furnish new wood to bear alternately. 

 The long shoot must be cut to any triple bud you can find 

 within the six inches prescribed. If you find no triple bud on 

 either shoot for bearing, then cut them both back alike to the 

 two leaf-buds nearest to the spur. But if, as is generally the 

 case, you find the triple bud desired, leave this shoot long, 

 and cut the other to two leaf-buds, to furnish two new bearing 

 wood shoots for the year after next. If you find a triple bud 

 to cut down to in the case of the shorter shoot, this is an ad- 

 ditional advantage, as it is fruitful, and you have a double 

 chance of peaches. But the whole system revolves on these 

 two shoots, which in time become three or four, — one of them 



