THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



175 



and keeping it in good condition. It accelerates 

 the formation of flower-buds, and puts an end 

 to all confusion with respect to the branches. 

 If not done with judgment, stopping may pro- 

 duce the very opposite effects, hindering the 

 formation of buds, or causing them to be de- 

 veloped before the proper time; but, when the 



Fig. 979.— Peach. Stopping or Pinching. 



operation is well done, it is one of the most 

 useful in the art of developing trees. 



Fig. 979 represents a branch, the shoots on 

 which have been shortened. No. 1 shows two 

 shoots which have been stopped above the 

 eighth leaf, at a a. The flow of sap occasioned 

 by this operation has had the effect of swelling 

 the fruit, at the same time avoiding bursting 

 the eyes made below. At the end of eight 

 or ten days the two or three terminal eyes are 

 developed as shown in No. 2 ; when these shoots 

 have acquired sufficient length the second pinch- 

 ing is performed, which takes place on the 

 lowest shoots b, b, a little above the fifth leaf; 

 the two remaining shoots are pruned at c c. 

 No. 3 shows the shoots after the last operation 

 has been performed. 



Fig. 980, e, gives an example of stopping 

 where the fruit has not set. The upper branch 

 a is cut back, as well as the lower branch b, 



Fig. 980.— Peach. Stopping before the Fruit is set. 



in order to give vent to the sap, and promote 

 the growth of the eyes near the base, which 

 ought to yield fruit; / shows the effects of the 

 first stopping. Then the first shoot is cut back 

 to c, and the second is stopped at d; g gives 



the result of the second stopping, a feeble result, 

 as- the sap is not in full flow. 



Fig. 981 represents a branch which has been 

 pruned above the fifth bud from the base. In 

 this example the pinching ought to be short 

 because the sap is most divided. The terminal 

 shoot has been pinched, and afterwards cut 

 back to a, which has had the effect of causing 

 the sap to flow back on fruit at the base. The 

 two shoots b and c have been pinched twice, 

 which has caused the fruit to swell and pro- 

 moted the growth of the succession shoot d. 



Disbudding. — This consists in the removal of 

 buds, or rather shoots in a very young state. 

 It is evident that if all the young shoots were 

 allowed to grow, they would soon become exces- 

 sively crowded; it is therefore necessary that 

 all should be removed except those for which 

 there is sufficient space. The operation ought 

 to be commenced by the removal of those situ- 

 ated in front of the strongest branches, espe- 

 cially if these are in connection with branches 



too strong for the others. Then in a day or 

 two those in front of branches or shoots lower 

 down should be removed, but care must be 

 taken to preserve the lowest side shoots on 

 each for succession. Those having fruit at 

 their bases should also be left untouched. 



The process of disbudding should be regu- 

 lated according to the state of the weather, and 

 consequently according to the greater or less 

 activity of vegetation. If the weather proves 

 ungenial, and vegetation is languid, it is not 

 advisable to disbud much; if, on the contrary, 

 the days and nights are warm, disbudding 

 should be thorough. Vegetation may com- 

 mence with a considerable degree of activity, 

 but frequently cold weather ensues, and the 

 slightly developed leaves linger or remain in 

 a stationary condition. When they are in this 

 state it is better to refrain from disbudding till 

 vegetation again becomes active. Every bud 

 that is being developed maintains a circulation 

 of sap in its vicinity, but when a bud, or the 

 young shoot resulting from it, is pinched or cut 



