80 



SUCCESSFUL FRUIT CULTURE 



therefore the head can be more certainly formed just 

 where it is desired. This is shown at Figure 41, a, 

 while Figure 42 shows a No. 1 tree. The very small 

 trees of any lot, however, 

 are probably those that 

 were budded on the weaker 

 growing seedlings, their 

 growth having been in- 

 / fluenced by the stock, and 

 for this reason it would be 

 better to grow trees rather 

 closely and on soil that 

 will produce a rather small 

 growth and select the best 

 of these. To produce such 

 trees a limited amount of nitrogen should be used in the 

 fertilizer, with a liberal amount of potash and phos- 

 phoric acid, which will tend to give a hardy stock. 

 Preparation of the tree for planting is a very 

 important matter and there are many 

 different ideas in regard to the best way 

 of doing this. The common practice is 

 to cut off all of the lateral shoots and the 

 main stalk (Figure 43, a) to about one, two 

 or three feet in hight, according to the 

 hight the head is to be formed. Another 

 method practiced by the writer is to cut 

 the top down to about three inches of the 

 point where the bud was inserted and let 

 only one bud grow into a new tree. 

 (Figure 43, &.) By this 

 method lateral branches can 

 be formed just where de- 

 sired along a central shoot, 





 8S Smi m 



1- 



Fig. 43 ,a, Peach 

 Tree Trimmed 



to whip will be less likely to break 



ig ' 43 > b > Peach 

 Tre e Cut Back 



to stub 



