PRUNING. 209 



course there arc endless diversities of application of the principle of 

 pruning peaches. The foundation is, however, always the same— a good 

 supply of fruit-bearing wood for the current year, and ample' provision 

 of younger wood for the next. 



Of course this annual renewal of peaches and nectarinea involves the 

 annual j;emoval of much exhausted and useless wood'. The theory of 

 perfect pruning is a status quo of fertility in regard alike to its quantity 

 and quality. This is a difficult matter, and needs much skill even were 

 there no disturbing causes at work to upset it. But there are many 

 such, as, for example, a scarcity or excess of food or water, heat or 

 cold, inequalities and irregularities of growth, insect enemies, the attacks 

 of disease, &c. Several of these adverse influences, that nOli seldom 

 upset the plana of the moat skilful pruners, are under the control of 

 cultivators, and, ao far as they are ao, should be removed. Bat who can 

 control the elements or regulate the eccentricities of gro wth that wreck 

 or foil the plans of the best pruners ? The pruner, unless he has visible 

 evidence to the contrary, ahould treat the tree on the assumption that all 

 its corresponding parts will respond to the knife in very much the same 

 ratio. The word corresponding is used here most advisedly. For instance, 

 the two sides of a tree of equal strength, at an equaJ. angle of divergence 

 from the horizontal or vertical lines, may be expected to break and grow 

 with almost equal force after being cut back in the same ratio. But no 

 experienced pruner would expect two ahoota of about equal size cut back 

 to the same extent, the one on the lower horizontal leader and the other 

 on a main vertical shoot, to break with equal vigour or grow with 

 uniform strength. The difference needa to be borne in mind in the 

 removal of useless and exhausted wood. Bemoved from the centre part 

 of the tree, it is speedily replaced ; removed without due thought and 

 . care from its lower sides, the tree may remain a shapeless wreck ever 

 after. 



The greatest art in this branch of the pruning of peaches and nectarines 

 is BO to arrange and foresee matters that a large branch haa never to be 

 removed. By annually removing from established trees as much ex- 

 hausted old wood as there is new to be laid in, the status quo of beauty 

 of form, as well aa of fertUity, is maintained. 



Of course, with young trees, until they fiU their allotted spaces, con- 

 siderably more wood is laid in than is removed. With due care in 

 regulating the form or quality of wood made but little pruning may be 

 needed until the trees almost fiU their allotted spaces. There is, how- 

 ever, a danger in the express mode of famishing wall space that the 

 centre and bottom of such trees may be left very bare of fmit-bearing 

 wood. It is often also needful to remove branches of peachea that are 



