ORCHARD FRUITS 7I 



a rule, are short-lived. Seldom do they last in com- 

 mercial plantations beyond the tenth year. They 

 come into bearing at three or four years and begin 

 to bear profitably at five. In some localities they bear 

 only two or three good crops before they begin to 

 decline. In others they may last for 20 years when 

 properly cared for. Instances are recorded in 

 western New York where trees have borne fruit 

 for 40 or even 50 years, but commercially such 

 trees would usually not be considered profitable. 



In starting a peach orchard, trees one year old 

 from the bud should be given preference to older 

 ones. They should be set 18 to 20 feet apart in 

 the orchards and pruned to a whip so that the scaf- 

 fold branches may be secured close to the ground. 

 Only three or four such branches should be allowed 

 to grow. These should be well distributed, not 

 in the form of Y-crotches, because these are apt to 

 split when the trees are loaded with fruit. If the 

 branches are well placed, they will make trees with 

 well-rounded tops. Correct pruning will help to 

 keep the form vase-like. Little wood should be 

 allowed on the inside of the tree. Each year the 

 annual growth should be cut back one-half to two- 

 thirds, depending upon the position of the fruit 

 buds. These buds can readily be recognized, be- 

 cause they are blunt, not sharp pointed as the leaf 

 buds are. Normally they appear in pairs with a 

 leaf bud between them on the main stems and also 

 singly on short fruit spurs at various irregular 

 places. The fruit spurs should not be pruned, be- 

 cause they last only two or three years, and do 

 nothing but bear fruit. It is the extending shoots 

 that should be cut back annually. By this annual 

 pruning, the amount of fruit can be kept within 



