l60 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



The common error of tying in too many young 

 growths should be avoided, as one of the greatest evils 

 in peach-culture. It crowds the tree with wood that is 

 not required, and prevents the sun and air from acting 

 properly on the foliage, and the result is weak, unripen- 

 ed, and tinfruitful wood. Whenever any given growth 

 shows that it is going to grow much stronger than the 

 rest, it should either be cut out altogether, or stopped, 

 and restopped if necessary, to prevent its monopolising 

 the sap that should go to the other parts of the tree. 



After the fruit are all gathered look carefully over 

 the trees, and untie and cut out at once those shoots 

 from which the fruit have been gathered, and which are 

 not necessary for another year. This gives more room 

 to the young wood required for the ensuing crop, and 

 concentrates the energies of the tree on their matura- 

 tion. It is not easy nor necessary thus to cut out all 

 the wood that requires to be removed ; but the lessening 

 of it leaves but little to do at the winter or early spring 

 pruning, as the case may be, and it lets more air and 

 light at the foliage and buds of the shoots that are left 

 to furnish the next crop. 



THINNING THE FRUIT. 



All peach-trees that are vigorous and the wood of 

 which has been weU ripened, generally set a great many 

 more fruit than are required, and therefore they require 

 to be thinned off. This operation should not be com- 

 pleted all at once, but gradually, and not finally till the 

 fruit are stoned. As soon as the fruit have swollen 

 sufficiently to burst and throw off their flowers, the first 

 thinning should take place. Where the fruit have set in 



