262 



rRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



to leave onc-lialf to two-thirds of the new growth which contains 

 the^ fruit huds. 3. When the fruit liuds have been winterkilled, the 

 main limbs may be cut back more severely, thus securing more 

 comjiact trees and avoiding the formation of long, straggling limbs 

 which the trees have a tendency to form if they are not cut back. 

 3. The amount of cutting back must depend upon the extenu' to 

 which the trees have been injured. 



4, If only the fruit buds have been killed and the wood of the 

 tree is uninjured, trees of compact form, if they have been annually 

 pruned, should have their main limbs shortened so as to leave only 

 a few inches of the new wood. If, however, the limbs arc getting 

 hmg and straggling they may be cut back into two nr even three- 



FIG. 224- OLD MIXON FREE PEACH WITH SPREADING HEAD 



Note how well this form admits light well down into the tree. This insures 

 btids formed at the base of the new wood where they are hardiest. One winter 

 when this tree had only 60^;^ of its huds killed, others of the same variety with 

 denser heads had f^fi to 90'";:. killed. 



year-old wood. Before severe cutting is done the grower should be 

 certain that there are not enough live buds left to produce fruit. 

 The peach sets such an abundance of fruit buds that if a sinall 

 11' rcentage of them have escaped injury there may still be enough 

 In produce a paying crop of fruit. 



r,. When the winter is so severe that not otdy the fruit bua. are 

 killed, but the wood is badly discolored, the trees may be invigorated 



