270 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



gave much less fruiting wood, particularly in the lower part of the 

 crown (Fig. 232). 



y\ll peach trees tend to develop a stronger growth toward their 

 outermost parts, whatever the pruning. This is seen in all the trees 

 illustrated herein. But if the center of the crown is kept open, 

 enough light will reach the lower parts to insure the development 

 of a profitable crop, where in unpruned trees little or no fruit is 

 produced. 



It is recognized that summer pruning involves additional ex- 

 pense to the grower. But the method is quickly learned and cheaply 



FIG. 232— FIVE-YEAR BELLE OF GEORGIA NOT SUMMER-PRUNED 



employed. All that is necessary is to cut back the wood of the 

 previous year's growth before the middle of June, and only in the 

 inner part of the crown; the outer branches get enough light 

 laterally. Figure 233 is a fourteen-year-old Greensboro tree that was 

 summer-pruned after its crop — a full one — was harvested in June. 

 It has been dehorned twice, the last time three years previous. Its 

 center has not been kept as open as in the trees previously illustrated, 

 hut there is a fine setting of bloom throughout the crown. Fully 

 one-third of its crop is set within 5 feet of the ground, the total 

 height of the tree being 9 feet. Compare this tree with Fig. 234, in 

 which the new wood was permitted to grow unpruned throughout 

 the summer. The practice of summer pruning for early varieties 

 at least, would seem to be established. 



Summer pruning will enable the grower to develop a full crop 

 of fruit in the lower part of his late varieties if he trains the trees 



