368 PEACHES. 



away entirely, or shorten down to the lower eye to produce 

 a shoot for the next year's bearing, always keeping the head 

 open, and handsomely formed. In this way the trees may 

 be kept always in a bearing state, the whole business 

 may be performed (when the trees are in good order) in a 

 short time, and the pruning may be done before the general 

 hurry of the spring comes on. And here I would observe, 

 that all the work of pruning, training, bringing in manure, 

 and other preparatory work ought to be attended to early, 

 so that when the month of April arrives the cropping of th© 

 ground may be attended to without interruption. 



ESPALIERS. 



Maiden, or one year's growth from the bud, as before 

 stated, worked on thrifty Plum stocks, should be selected 

 from the nursery, the espalier being formed as stated for Ap- 

 ples along the borders ; the trees when planted should be 

 headed down to about six inches from the bud. Three shoots 

 only should be suffered to grow the first season, one to the 

 left, one to the right, and one in the centre ; the next season, 

 if the growth has been rapid, they will have produced a num- 

 ber of lateral shoots, which must be thinned out, and tied in to 

 the trellis, cutting the weak shoots down to the lower eye to 

 make bearing shoots for another season, in the same manner 

 as directed for standards ; afterwards a little judgment and 

 taste are required, in order to make a handsome fan-like ap- 

 pearance, taking care to have a moderate and regular sup- 

 ply of young shoots, and shortening them, in order to 

 keep the lower and middle part of the tree full of fruit, the 

 distance from tree to tree may be about eight or ten feet; 

 if gum should appear about the roots, or in'the branches, it 

 ought to be pared away and examined, to see that no worms 

 are there, paring away to the fresh wood, and afterward fill- 

 ing up the wound vvith the Forsyth composition, or if that is 

 not at hand, a little fresh cow dung will answer the purpose. 

 It is natural to suppose, that the Peach would overgrow the 

 Plum stock, as Plums do not grow so fast as peaches ; 

 but it is not the case, if the stocks are young and thrifty, 

 the Peach will cause the Plum stock to grow and keep pace 

 with it. Stocks that are large and stunted will not answer 

 the purpose ; the Peach, in that case, will overgrow it, and 

 make it appear very unsightly. 



