New Mode of Pruning the Peach-tree. 129 



Sir, Eaton Hall, Feb. 5, 1826. 



Amongst the various methods of training the peach-tree, 

 recommended by different writers on that subject, there is one 

 which I have not seen in any author that I have read. A 

 short account of it, with a sketch, was sent me a few years 

 back, by Mr. J. Seymour, the inventor, at Carlton, near 

 Snaith, Yorkshire. Being convinced of its superiority over 

 every other system I had seen, I immediately adopted it in as 

 near a manner as I could with old trees, and in the following 

 manner with all my young ones. 



A maiden plant must be cut down to three eyes, and three 

 shoots being produced, the two lower ones are left at full 

 length, and the succeeding Spring the centre shoot is again 

 cut down to three eyes. At the time of disbudding the trees, 

 all the buds on the lower side of the two horizontal branches 

 are rubbed off, and buds are left on the upper side of the 

 branches at a distance of from nine to twelve inches from 

 each other. These are suffered to grow five or six inches, 

 and are then stopped ; but still suffering the leading shoot 

 to extend itself. At the second Spring pruning, the centre 

 shoot is again cut to three eyes ; or, if the tree be very vigorous, 

 five eyes may be left; two for each side, and a centre one 

 for again furnishing leading shoots. The leading shoots are 

 laid in in the fan form, nine or ten inches from each other ; 

 the shoots on the leading branch are nailed to the wall in 

 Summer, but after the Winter's pruning, they are tied to the 

 leading shoots with strands of matting ; thus keeping the 

 space between the leading shoots clear, for the succeeding 

 Summer's shoots to be nailed in, where they get well ripened, 

 and mature their buds for another crop. At the Winter's 

 pruning they are cut to three or four inches, according to 

 their strength. 



I visited Carlton in January, 1825, and I never saw more 

 healthy and regular trees. Having occasion to write to 

 Mr. Seymour lately, I requested him to give me some account 

 of a particular peach-tree, trained in this way, which, at the 

 time I saw it, I much admired, and the following is an extract 

 from his letter. 



" This tree was planted in the year 1806, and has been 

 under my management to this present time, 1824. It covers 

 just forty-five feet in length of a ten feet wall, which is re- 

 gularly covered. It consists of forty- four principal leading 

 shoots, which are nailed in direct lines, at equal distances, 

 in the fan form; each of the leading shoots is regularly 

 furnished with bearing shoots, at about twelve inches 



