PEARS, PEACHES, QUINCES, ETC. 165 



By frequent attention fruit trees of all kinds may be 

 kept in perfect condition for many years by the use of 

 the pocket-knife and thumb and fingers. As the trees 

 grow old the lateral branches tend to become weak, 

 and either die or are cut away unless the tops are heav- 

 ily pruned; and in northern sections, where the fruit 

 buds are winter-killed, as they frequently are, this non- 

 bearing year in old orchards is taken advantage of and 

 the tops are cut back severely, thus forcing growth into 

 the lower branches and practically renewing the trees. 

 The cutting of large branches should be done with a 

 saw and never with an axe or the heavy lever shears. 

 All wounds more than an inch in diameter should be 

 painted with linseed-oil paint to prevent decay. 



Peach trees are not long lived. Under especially 

 favorable conditions an orchard will last from twelve to 

 fifteen years, and individual trees sometimes reach forty 

 to fifty years of age. At the North, three crops in five 

 years are expected on the average, though sometimes 

 three or four consecutive crops may be obtained, while 

 on the other hand the buds may be destroyed by cold as 

 many consecutive years. 



The crop, too, varies much in quantity and quality, 

 according to the season. In a bright, warm summer, or 

 where the trees are on a warm, sunny, but high eleva- 

 tion, the fruit will be of much better quality than in a 

 cold, wet season or cool, moist soil and north or east 

 exposure. 



Gathering and Marketing the Fruit. 



To be of the best quality, peaches must be ripened 

 upon the trees, becoming almost mellow before picking. 

 The stage of ripeness at which they should be picked 

 can only be determined by the eye. When the fruit is 

 fully grown and the green color has been replaced by a 



