THE PEACH. 97 



age height of about six feet, under good culture. 

 Early in March of the season following, the 

 lower branches are to be removed to the desired 

 height for forming a head, giving a clear trunk 

 of three or four feet. The top shoots are then to 

 be shortened back nearly to the stem, leaving one 

 top bud for a leader and four side buds for per- 

 manent side limbs. Beginning thus aright in 

 the formation of a symmetrical head, the after 

 process will be very simple. It is only important 

 to remember that the tendency of the peach is 

 to push its vitality to the extremity of the new 

 growth, on which alone the fruit buds are formed. 

 If left to its natural growth, it would soon 

 become straggling, with a long, naked, and bar^ 

 ren trunk and branches. To prevent this it is 

 only necessary to cut back the growth of the 

 previous season one half to two thirds of its 

 length in March of each year. In this way the 

 tree is kept compact and symmetrical, and a 

 sufficient amount of new wood will remain to 

 give all the fruit the tree can carry to perfection. 

 Little other pruning will be found necessary, 

 unless perchance the head becomes crowded, 

 when a moderate summer thinning out of the 

 weaker shoots will remedy the evil. 



In the moist and foggy climate of England 

 peaches and other fruits are largely trained upon 

 7 



