PEACH AND NECTARINE TREES. 237 



be retained for supporting the fruit which is 

 upon the tree that season, as well as for a 

 supply of wood to bear fruit the ensuing 

 year. And when all such shoots are trained 

 in, they exclude a due portion of sun and air 

 from having access amongst them, from which 

 cause the new wood will be prevented from 

 attaining such a state of maturity as to be 

 productive; also the wood will be much 

 weaker, the fruit smaller, and insects will 

 be encouraged by having so much harbour. 

 On the other hand, by having the bearing 

 wood at the distance I recommend, the tree 

 is preserved from luxuriancy which would 

 be the case if the wood was much farther 

 apart. 



In pruning a tree, always begin at the 

 lowest branches, and proceed from the bole 

 of the tree to the ends, branch by branch. 

 The length at which the young bearing wood 

 is to be left, must be varied according to its 

 strength. Healthy bearing wood will gene- 

 rally be about the thickness of a common 

 goose quill, such must be pruned down to 

 twelve buds, as Fig. 5. d, but stronger or 

 weaker wood, more or less in proportion. 



It was directed in the summer dressing of 

 the trees, that on every branch of last year's 

 wood (of a healthy tree) which w r as from six 

 to fourteen inches in length, the uppermost 

 shoot, as Fig. 4. b, and lowest, as a, should 

 be retained. If there should be a sufficiency 



