OF PEACTinSv 45 



management, and attention to the Summer pruning. 

 I liave often topped the strong shoots twice in the 

 course of the Summer, before I could get them 

 to produce iine kind bearing wood. I have often 

 had shoots that grew, in the course of one Summer, 

 upwards of six feet in length, and as thick as my 

 thumb. When such shoots as these are laid-in 

 near their full length, the lower part of the wall 

 will be left naked [^See the Fl ate. Jig. 1.] ; be- 

 sides, these strong shoots exhaust the tree of its 

 strength, and never produce good wood when you 

 neglect to top them in Summer. I would recom- 

 mend to cut out such shoots when the trees are 

 pruned in the Spring, and to leave only the fine 

 kind bearing wood ; (which you may know by two 

 small leaves where the flower-buds will be in the 

 following year ; the strong shoots have only one 

 leaf-bud at each eye ;) always remembering to lay 

 the branches as horizontally as you can, which will 

 check the growth of the shoot, and make the wood 

 much finer, and fit for bearing the succeeding 

 year. You should always rub off all the useless 

 side-shoots that cannot be nailed in against the 

 wall, leaving only the best, and laying them in 

 about three inches apart. Be very particular to 

 pick off all the side shoots that come out near the 

 tops of the branches ; which, if left, would weaken 

 the fruit-bearing branches for next year. This 

 should be done as soon as you can lay hold of 

 these shoots with your finger and thumb : if you 



