144- Pruning and Training the Peach and "Nectarine. 



ing, be careful not to bruise any part of the shoot; the wounds 

 made by the knife heal quickly, but a bruise often proves 



incurable. Never let a nail gall any part of the tree : it will 

 endanger the life of the branch. In nailing in the young 

 shoots, dispose them as straight and as regular as possible : it 

 will look workmanlike. Whatever system of training is pur- 

 sued, the leading branches should be laid in in the exact posi- 

 tion they are to remain ; for, wherever a large branch is 

 brought down to fill the lower part of the wall, the free ascent 

 of the sap is obstructed by the extension of the upper and con- 

 traction of the lower parts of the branch. It is thus robbed 

 of part of its former vigour, whilst it seldom fails to throw out 

 immediately behind the part most bent one or more vigorous 

 shoots. To assist the young practitioner in laying in the lead- 

 ing branches of the tree, the following method may, perhaps, 

 be acceptable. Drive a nail into the wall, exactly where the 

 centre of the tree is to be, then with a string and chalk describe 

 a semicircle of any diameter : divide the quadrant into 90° ; 

 the lower branch will then take an elevation of about 12°, the 

 second of about 27|°, the third about 43°, the fourth 58|°, 

 and the fifth about 74^°. A nail should then be driven into 

 each of these points, and the chalk rubbed off. 



Where trees of the class treated of have been badly managed, 

 it is extremely difficult, and in many cases totally impossible, 

 ever to recover them so as to form sightly trees. Where such 

 is the case, the best course will be to plant a young tree between 

 each of the old ones, first turning over and renewing as large 

 a portion of the border for each young tree as can be done 

 with safety to the old ones, which will help to invigorate the 

 old trees, and keep them in a bearing state, until the young 

 trees have filled a sufficient portion of the wall, that the old 



