124 



PRUNING 



The whole object of the peach primer is therefore to keep up 

 a supply of new wood. His short, interior twigs are often useless 

 after one year, in which case he may cut them out altogether. 

 In any case he prunes his tree much more severely than in the 

 apple, so as to develop new growth. Sometimes this new growth, 

 resulting from severe pruning, is so vigorous that it does not 

 bear much the first year but the operator knows that he can rely 



Fig. 50. — Spurs of the European plum. They differ from the apple in being straight and 



in not living so long. 



Fig. 51. — Cherry spurs. Similar to the plum. 



on its sobering down by the second year and producing a lot of 

 good new shoots that will bear. 



The " leaders " in the peach need especial attention. From 

 the very fact that the method of bearing is progressive, there 

 is a strong tendency for these leaders to get away and carry the 

 tree to undue heights. This disposition is especially strong in 

 young trees, and for several years after the tree is set the pruner 

 has to take out practically all the leaders, even though he knows 

 that they will be replaced by an equally strong growth. 



