44 OF PEACHES. 



be full of blossom, as they never bear good fruit. 

 Sometimes weakly trees are covered over with 

 blossom ; but if too much fruit be suffered to remain 

 on them, they will be weakened so much that they 

 will never recover. In that case, I would recom- 

 mend picking off the greater part of the fruit, to 

 let the tree recover its strength. When you prune 

 trees in the above state, observe never to prune at 

 a single flower-bud ; if you do, you will be sure to 

 kill the shoot ; or, at least, it will die as far as the 

 next wood-bud. [_See Plate III. Jig. 2.] 



On observing, you will find some shoots, and 

 sometimes whole trees, with nothing but single 

 flower-buds. These sorts of shoots should be laid- 

 in at full length. Always observe the next branch 

 that has got some wood-buds, and cut it close, 

 that it may produce fine wood to supply the place 

 of those that have only flower-buds, which may be 

 cut out next year. 



When peaches come into a bearing state, you 

 will, in general, see two flower-buds close to- 

 gether ; if you look between these flower-buds, 

 you will see what is called a wood-bud ; you 

 should always cut at such double buds ; as from 

 between them come out the shoots that produce 

 the fruit for next year. 



If you observe the above rules, you cannot mis- 

 take in pruning your Peaches. \_See Plate III. 



When the trees come into a bearing state, you 

 may keep them in a flourishing one by proper 



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