50 CORDON TRAINING. 



The two shoots on each spur must now be 

 shortened in. One must be left long for fruit 

 (if possible), and the other must be cut short to 

 furnish new wood to bear alternately. The long 

 shoot must be cut to any triple bud you can find 

 within the six inches prescribed. If you find no 

 triple bud on either shoot for bearing, then cut 

 them both back alike to the two leaf-buds nearest 

 to the spur. But if, as is generally the case, you 

 find the triple bud desired, leave this shoot long, 

 and cut the other to two leaf-buds, to furnish 

 two new bearing wood shoots for the year after 

 next. If you find a triple bud to cut clown to 

 in the case of the shorter shoot, this is an ad- 

 ditional advantage, as it is fruitful, and you have 

 a double chance of peaches. But the whole 

 system revolves on these two shoots, which in 

 time become three or four, one of them being 

 left long to bear, and the other being cut short 

 to succeed it. In this way a succession of fruit- 

 ful wood is sure to be obtained, while on the 

 old method, when once a shoot had borne, it was 

 slightly shortened in, and permitted to bear on 

 the new growth ; so that in time the fruit was 

 produced so far from the centre, that a severe 

 pruning, most injurious to the peach, was needed. 

 The shoots on the spurs multiply in time, and are 

 cut back, or left long, as required. Every suc- 

 cessive pruning must have for its object to keep 

 the bearing wood close and compact, and allow 



