NECTARINES. 3Q1 



Pruning and Training of Peaches and Nectarines. 



When the young plant of either Peach or Nectarine 

 is removed from the nursery to the place of its destin- 

 ation, it must be headed down at the proper time, in 

 the manner directed under the head of Propagation, 

 and its treatment in all respects must be like that of 

 the Apricot, both in its pruning and training, till the 

 head is completely furnished. One principal object in 

 the management of the Peach, must be to keep up a 

 constant succession of young wood in every part of the 

 tree, for unless this be accomplished the crop of fruit 

 must be partial and defective. 



To effect this, the annual shortening of the young 

 wood is perfectly calculated ; but the manner in which 

 this ought to be performed has by no means been fixed 

 upon one certain principle : the various methods laid 

 down and insisted upon by writers being greatly at 

 variance with each other, they leave the inexperienced 

 gardener in a dilemma as to which course he should 

 pursue. Some of these are so barbarous and absurd, 

 that it has always appeared to me an act of folly in 

 any one making the attempt to copy them. 



A few of these have been exhibited in the Horticul- 

 tural Garden at Chiswick, in contrast to some very 

 excellent specimens in that department. This, on a 

 small scale, has no doubt been of advantage ; because 

 the authors of those fantastical trees have been pointed 

 out at the time of their exhibition, which has in some 

 cases, no doubt, served as a stumbling-block for others 

 to avoid, whilst the trees under a judicious mode of ma- 

 nagement have held out examples worthy of imitation. 



As I have observed before, the principal object to be 

 kept in view is a constant succession of young wood 

 throughout every part of the tree : this is to be effected 



