OF PEACHES. 43 



them ; but they should never be topped, when 

 the tree sends out fine kind shoots, till the Spring 

 following, when you may prune them according to 

 the strength of the tree, and the quantity of wood 

 it has made during the preceding Summer, leaving 

 your shoots from six to twelve inches long -, by 

 which means you will soon be able to fill the 

 lower part of the wall. It is too common a prac- 

 tice to lay in the shoots at full length, taking ofi' 

 only the points of the branches, w^hich generally, 

 after a few years, leaves the walls quite naked : 

 whereas if attention were paid to the training, 

 especially for the first four years, you could always 

 iill the w^alls with fine bearing w^ood from top to 

 bottom, and the trees could produce a great deal 

 more fruit, and of much finer quality, than when 

 they are run up in the former way : for those 

 trees, in general, are so weak that they have not 

 strength to bear good fruit. The third year, if 

 care be taken to manage the trees properly in 

 Summer, you may bring them into a bearing 

 state. If the ground be strong, they will grow' 

 very vigorously ; in that case, you must pinch all 

 the strong shoots about the month of June, which 

 will make them throw out side-shoots ; these, if 

 not laid-in too thick, will make fine bearing wood 

 for the succeeding year. If you suffer the strong 

 shoots to grow to their full length, they will ^be 

 large and spongy, and will neither produce fruit 

 nor good wood for the following year. Weak 

 shoots should never be nailed, although they may 



