PRUNING MATURE TREES 



259 



several died from winter injury. Trees in an adjacent row headed 

 back moderately two or three times were thick topped with. much 

 weak sappy growth on the insides, but the annual growth was more 

 vigorous and the trees healthier than in those not pruned. More 

 and stronger fruit branches were shorter, stronger and more 

 capable of bearing a large crop of fruit. It is concluded from these 

 experiments that the best form of peach tree cannot be secured 

 and maintained without pruning. 



As a result of three years' special experiments, Waugh 

 concludes that the heading back of peach trees in early 



FIG. 221 UNSATISFACTORY GROWTH OF PEACH NOT PRUNED BACK 

 SEVERELY ENOUGH AFTER WINTER INJURY 



spring is good practice and in all cases advisable. In 

 this pruning from one-third to two-thirds of the wood of 

 the previous year should be removed, depending on the 

 number of living buds on the one-year-old wood. When 

 from any cause there are no fruit buds, advantage should 



