IS6 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



and always to a strong wood-bnd. Peach-trees in a 

 healthy condition have their buds in clusters of three — 

 a wood-bud in the centre, and a fruit-bud on each side 

 of it ; and to such a cluster of buds they should always 

 be cut when cut at all. 



Well-established trees that have borne heavy crops 

 regularly, and especially those that have been forced 

 early, generally make shorter and stronger growths, well 

 studded with strong clusters of buds. In this case it is 

 uuadvisable to shorten them back at all. A watchful 

 eye must always be kept on the lower portions of the 

 tree, so that it is not allowed to get bare of young 

 fruit-bearing growths. It need scarcely be said that, 

 from the fact that it is the young wood that bears, the 

 tendency is for it to be in greatest abundance at the top. 



The best guarantee against trees becoming bare of 

 young bearing wood at their lowest parts, is to annually 

 cut back a few healthy young growths to 2 or 3 eyes, 

 and allow as many of these to bud and grow as may be 

 required to keep up the supply of young wood. This is 

 an indispensable necessity, from the fact that portions of 

 old wood have annually to be removed at the top of the 

 tree. In practice, all other things being equal, there is 

 little difficulty experienced in thus furnishing the lower 

 portions of the tree with bearing wood. All cutting 

 should be effected with a sharp thin knife ; and when- 

 ever it becomes necessary to remove an old limb, the 

 wound should be painted solidly over with white 

 paint. 



I have already referred to what is termed Seymour's 

 system of training, from its having been first adopted 

 at Carlton Hall, in Yorkshire, by a gardener of that 

 name. By this system a tree of great regularitj'^ and 



