100 



crops of trvxit which will tend to check its vigour somewhat, and the vigour must 

 be keiit up to furnish a constant renewal of bearing wood. Although this tree 

 looks roomy and open, Figure 120 shows it in foliage and gives some idea of how 

 necessary it is to kee]) the leaders well ajiart. We now have a double row of 1 aders 

 all round a roomy centre and these leaders must be kept intact right through the 

 tree's existence without any branching. Figiu'e 121 shows a six-year old tree in 

 full bearing. It will be noticed that the leaders have not been branched and no 

 forks ha\'e been permitted for the past two seasons and no branching must be 

 permitted in future, otherwise the leaders will be lost. The points of the leaders 

 must always be kept clear, but the small lateral growth immediately below the 

 tips should not be removed, because these, by checking the sap flow slightly, causes 

 the buds below to throw out fruiting laterals, and in this manner the buds are 

 developed down below, and no bare wood results, such as is often seen in the peach. 

 The strength in this six-year old tree is shown by the man sitting in a third season's 

 fork ; the tree is open, roomy, and carries nice fruiting wood from base up, and the 



Fig. 12(1. 

 Showing the tree in foliage. 



tree carried a heavy crop both the pre^•ious and the following season. The tree 

 is nine feet high to where primed, and the fruit can be picked without the aid of a 

 ladder. The leaders must now be hard pruned every season to keep them growing 

 strong. Figure 122 shows an eight- year old peach tree badly pruned. A glance at 

 Figure 1 2 1 will illustrate the difference in the two systems. In one the leaders 

 are kept intact ; in the other the leaders have been lost and the top of the tree 

 has all gone to fruiting wood, while the base is already barren and in two years' 

 time the tree will only bear on the top, all the lower j>ortion of the tree becoming 

 barren (as shown in Figure 150, renovating peach). It will be noticed that in 

 Figure 122 the top is a mass of fruiting wood and the reader has only to pictui'e 

 in his mind what this tree will be like when in foliage and how little chance 

 it has of maintaining its lower fruiting wood healthy and productive. The 

 only thing to do is to heavily thin out the top, regain the leaders, and 

 permit sunlight and air free entry and try to develop tlie lower fruiting 

 wood again by severe shortening back. In pruning the peach for fruit, 



