34 



ing a strong symmetrical head on every peach tree in the orchard. As 

 soon as the tree is formed and fruitage begins, some regular system 

 of management should be adopted and consistently pursued. There 

 are two general methods. According to the first, the tree is allowed 

 to grow in every direction as far as its natural habit leads it, pruning 

 being directed to the business of keeping the center opened and the 

 branches full. A tree well grown in this manner, the formation of 

 too many large low branches being prevented, takes on something 

 of a vase form. From this fact it has often been called the vase form 

 pruning. According to the other method, the tree is frequently and 

 sometimes vigorously headed back. Branches are cut off at the sides 

 and at the top. This heading-in requires some judgment. If care- 

 lessly and improperly done, the results are bad; if intelligently fol- 

 lowed, however, the method is all that could be desired. 



Vigorous, healthy peach trees in full growth and well set with fruit 

 buds should be headed back at a spring pruning (if the heading-back 

 method is to be followed), leaving just enough one-year-old wood to 

 carry a reasonable crop of fruit. In any year when the fruit buds 

 have been killed by freezing, the heading back may be somewhat more 

 severe; at such times it is practicable to cut back to two-year-old 

 wood; in some places it is safe to cut even into three-year-old wood. 

 If trees are weak and unhealthy, vigorous heading back is still more 

 desirable. Vigorous heading back in this connection, however, does 

 not mean the removal of the entire top of the tree, as is sometimes 

 practised under other conditions for other purposes. 



The summer pruning of the trees, already referred to, should be 

 directed to the removal of excessi^'e growth. Any tree which is gi"ow- 

 ing is apt to choke its head with strong shoots, which shut out the Hght 

 from the interior, prevent the proper coloring of the fruit and prevent 

 also the. formation of fruit buds for the succeeding crop. The slight 

 check which is given by the removal of green shoots during the summer 

 is advantageous also in promoting the formation of fruit buds. 



The thinning of the fruit may be regarded as a sort of pruning. If 

 pruning is practised, as advised above, a certain amount of thinning 

 of the fruit results as an incidental benefit. Whether summer pruning 

 is given or not, considerable thinning of the fruit is advisable in any 

 year when the crop sets reasonably well. Experience everywhere has 

 shown that money expended on thinning pays a large profit. 



Diseases and Difficulties. 

 The great danger which a peach orchard in Massachusetts always 

 runs is that of heavy winter freezing. The peach grower must take 

 this chance into account when he starts into business. In case a heavy 

 freeze occurs and the trees are injured, the damage can be repaired 

 somewhat by proper management. Extensive experiments on this 

 subject, conducted by the Hatch Experiment Station of the Massa- 



