70 APRICOTS, PEACHES, PLUMS. 



cup or tulip. I do not object to the prettiness of 

 this; but it is an arrangement that embarrasses the 

 subsequent operations of training. It is important 

 to put the strongest shoots always the lowest that 

 may consist with the above plan, as the main 

 strength of growth takes always the direction of 

 the more vertical shoots. The young wood must 

 be laid in from time to time, as early as it will ad- 

 mit of that operation, in order to have the full 

 benefit of the season for ripening, and for the same 

 reason the superflous shoots must be cleared away. 

 All that is not duly ripened, especially of the peach, 

 is killed with the winter frosts, and must be cut 

 down to the nearest fresh buds in the spring. 

 Avoid crowding, and have no blanks. The small 

 shoots may in general be two inches apart; and 

 twice as much would be an unnecessary freedom. 

 The reason of this closeness is the constant succes- 

 sion of young wood that must be kept up; some 

 always coming forward to take the place of older 

 and thicker branches that must be removed. Some 

 little variations in the contiguity of the shoots 

 must be admitted, according to the size of the leaf, 

 the fruit, and the nature of the wood as to bearing. 

 But whoever proceeds according to the above direc- 

 tion will not go far wrong, and will acquire by a 

 little practice an exactness which no ordinary pa- 

 tience would serve for writing, and far less for 

 reading. 



Nothing more should be wanted for your entire 

 success, did you enter to the possession of your 



