38^ THE PRACTICE OP PRUNING. 



The management of the laterals must be varied according to the nature of 

 the soil, and the greater or less humidity of the climate. If the soil is rich 

 and moist, strong shoots, too strong for any but wood-buds being formed 

 on them, will be produced. Instead of the fruitful laterals produced on the 

 Kentish soil, rod-like walking canes wiU be produced when the plants are 

 grown in many other parts of the kingdom. They must be out back, other- 

 wise they would form strong cross branches; but then we must consider 

 that each of these rods, with their ample foliage, has contributed to the for- 

 mation of roots during the summer ; that these roots wUl be adequate to 

 supply nourishment in the following season to aU the shoots made in the 

 present season ; but when the shoots are necessarily reduced, say more than 

 one half, either by shortening or cutting out entirely, then the remaining 

 portion has more than double the quantity of roots necessary for its nourish- 

 ment ; and it wUl, in consequence, be stimulated to grow with excessive 

 luxuriance. 



The Peace and NECTAnnsrE-TEEB. 



The mode of bearing is as follows :— A, represents the branch of a Peach- 

 tree. The figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, denote the respective ages of the portions of 

 branch opposite. The asterisks at the sides of the shoots, indicate the place 

 to which these may be shortened at the wmter pruning. B, is a portion of 

 a bearing shoot furnished with both wood and blossom-buds ; a, a, a, «;, are 

 blossom-buds; J, J, h, b, wood-buds. 



Peach and Nectarine-trees bear their fruit exclusively on wood of the 

 preceding summer's growth. For example, if one pull a Peach in the summer 

 of 1847, it must be from wood formed in the summer of 1846, and which 

 had no existence, as a shoot, in 1845, although then its origin might have 

 been traced to a vital point within a bud. Such an almost invisible point 

 was the shoot B, in 1845. In summer 1846, this point, developed from a 

 bud, grew a shoot, furnished with leaves disposed singly, in twos or in 

 threes, along the growing shoot. In the axil of each of these leaves, the 

 rudiments of a bud were formed. The leaves, having accomplished their 

 office, dropped in autumn, whilst the energy of the young buds continued 

 to increase. Their winter appearance is represented in Fig. B. The blossom- 

 buds are distinguished by their plumpness: they have an ovate form, 

 which gradually becomes- globose: they have a hoary appearance, owing 

 to the scales opening and exposing their downy integuments. The wood- 

 buds are slender and conical. Their scaly covering is less deranged by 

 expansion of their interior parts in early spring, and consequently they 

 exhibit less of that hoary pubescence by which the others are distin- 

 guished. In the case of triple buds the middle one is generally a wood-bud. 



The Peach differs materially from the Pear and Apple-trees. In these a 

 shoot may be shortened to any bud, and the one immediately below the cut 

 will almost invariably produce a shoot ; but the Peach shoot must be out to 

 where there is a wood-bud ; for if cut to a blossom-bud only, no shoot can 



