PRUNING YOUNG TREES 



221 



FIG. 185 THREE-YEAR LAM- 

 BERT CHERRY BEFORE EARLY 

 JULY PRUNING 



FIG. 186 THREE -YEAR- OLD 



LAMBERT CHERRY TREE AFTER 



PRUNING IN EARLY JULY 



fruiting. The peach, when secured from the nursery, is 

 generally too large and has a large number of branches. 

 An ideal tree is a straight whip, but it is almost impossible 

 to buy such trees. Under our soil and climatic conditions 

 the trees tend to grow very vigorously in the nursery. A 

 general heading to about 18 to 20 inches is recommended. 



If whips can be secured, they should be pruned as is 

 customary with the other trees. If there are a few weak 

 laterals, they should be removed, but if the trees have 

 strong laterals, instead of removing all lateral growth, 

 which is practiced by some growers, half a dozen well- 

 spaced branches should be chosen and cut back to one 

 or two buds. This will give a large leaf surface the first 

 year, will remove the danger of having a tree stand with 

 only one or two branches, and also will remove the dan- 

 ger of the tree's dying. Under our climatic conditions a 

 great many peach trees, when they are pruned back to 

 whips, after they have once formed strong laterals, never 

 start to grow. Some trees will force out new buds and 

 shoots, but others will not. If, after the buds start on the 



