210 ^ THE PEACH AND NECTAKINE. 



not quite exhausted, as it is neoeaaary to lay in a certain amount of 

 young wood every year. This necessitates the removal of a correspond- 

 ing amount of older wood. As a rule, when two shoots compate against 

 each other to remain, the older one must go. There are, however, 

 exceptions, as shoots may be youiig and yet worthless. Weakness and 

 unripeness, »s well as disease, may suggest the removal of shoots ; and 

 these characteristics are by no means confined to old wood. All weakly 

 shoots, whether old or young, should, if possible, be removed or reduced 

 to the shortest dimensions. Unripe wood finds no quarter from the knife 

 of the skilful pruner ; it is the fruitful source of most of the failures that 

 discourage or defeat fruit cultivators. Unripened wood is worse than 

 useless in the tree ; it lacks the power of fertility, induces weakness, and 

 invites the attacks of insects. The skilful pruner is therefore quick to 

 mark, and even more quick to remove, all unripe wood as useless and 

 dangerous. 



Diseased branches, whether they be old or young, are also cut out at 

 once if' they can be spared. The latter caution must, however, be 

 attended to. Oooasionally, for example, a main limb on a peach tree 

 may be cankered and continue to yield fruit in that state for years. Under 

 such ciroumstanoes it would be a great loss of symmetry as well as of 

 fruit to cut it away. Fortunately, though peach . trees are frequently 

 attacked with canker, they seldom suffer from branch or Umb dying to 

 anything like the same extent as apricots. These often perish in a few 

 days or weeks. Peaches not seldom linger for years with canker eating 

 slowlyinto their vital powers and undermining their health. Gum on smaller 

 branches should, however, be out away at once, the branch being pruned 

 back to beyond the gummed part. Dull wet summers often leave a good 

 deal of mildewed wood on peaches and nectarines. This not only cripples 

 ■or destroys the leaves, but leaves its deep marks on the young wood. All 

 shoots betraying by their white patches or blotches the presence of mil- 

 dew must be removed at the winter or spring pruning. At times such 

 wholesale removals may leave the trees bare of wood ; but this state is 

 favourable to their renovation and recovery to health and their deliverance 

 from the debilitating influence of this insidious disease. 



Fig. 45 furnishes an example of a neglected peach tree, allowed to run 

 away too fast and too far at first. Such trees are often past recovery. 

 But this tree is yet young, and possesses the power of recovery 

 in the buds on its main stem and the adventitious buds hidden near 

 the base of its leading branches. By beheading it, and cutting the latter 

 boldly back, it is therefore possible to force Fig. 45 to renew its youth and 

 make a fresh staxt in the form of Fig. 46. Similar means are often used 

 to renovate and refurnish with bearing wood particular parts or branches 



