264 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



by cutting them back severely. The following is a summary of 

 results of pruning peach trees subsequent to a severe freeze : 



ij. Peach trees which were not pruned, or in which only a part 

 of the new wood was removed after the freeze, started into growth 

 first in spring and for two weeks appeared to be in more vigorous 

 condition than did pruned trees. 7. This apparent vigor was only 



temporary, however. Some of the 

 trees died a little later and none 

 of them made satisfactory growth 

 throughout the season. They 

 seemed to have used up all their 

 energy in making a start. At the 

 close of the season they had made 

 but little new growth, and this 

 was confined mainly to the tops 

 of the branches, the old limbs and 

 trunks containing only dead twigs. 

 Their annual layer of new wood 

 was very thin and some of their 

 roots died. 



S. Trees of bearing age cut 

 back so as to leave only the trunk 

 and the bases of the main limbs 

 died in some cases, and where 

 they did live their growth was un- 

 satisfactory, many of the sprouts 

 starting from the unreliable seed- 

 ling stock below ground. 



9. Trees of bearing age cut 

 back into two-year-old wood in 

 the case of young trees, and to 

 three or four-year-old wood in 

 older trees, thus leaving stubs of 

 the main limbs 3 to 4 feet long, 

 made the best growth. They 

 made 6 to 9 feet of new growth 

 and entirely renewed their heads 

 during the following season. They 

 also developed a good layer of 

 new wood on their trunks and 

 formed a good crop of fruit buds. 



10. In the case of two-year-old 

 trees, those cut back so as to leave 



the trunk and spurs of the main branches 2 or 3 inches long did 

 best and made fine heads. 



11 One-year-old trees cut back nearly to the original bud and 

 with a single sprout trained up during the growmg season made 

 fine trees. 



FIG. 226 

 GREENSBORO FIVE YEARS OLD 

 One of the main limbs pruned im- 

 mediately after har\'esting last year's 

 crop. See lower ri(^ht-hand part of 

 frame limb in Fig. 227 



