THE PEACH. 



805 



the, grub without injury to the tree. The worm in the 

 fruit is best prevented by permitting pigs or fowls to con- 

 sume all the fallen fruit of the orchard as it drops. 



A somewhat serious difficulty, in peach culture, is the re- 

 sult of bad pruning. It is the tendency to 

 overbear and break down the limbs from the 

 excess of the crop. More peach trees are 

 destroyed or badly injured from this cause 

 than any other. The peach trees hould 

 always be pruned at the extremities of 

 the branches, by cutting off, close to a bud, one-third, or, 

 if very luxuriant, one-half the last year's growth. (See 

 plate of tree properly pruned in the figure.) The fruit is 

 produced on these small branches ; and by reducing the 

 top in this manner, overbearing is prevented, the fruit is 

 effectually thinned, and is larger, finer flavored, and nearly 

 as much fruit can be taken from each tree without danger 

 of breaking. The tree is also kept low and close, and 

 more trees and larger crops can be grown to the acre. This 

 method of pruning is called shortening-in^ or heading-in, 

 and is expeditiously done with a pair of pruning shears.* 

 Pruning can be performed upon the peach at any time 

 when the leaves are off. If it is wished to throw young 

 trees very early into fruit, they may be shortened the last 

 of July, the year they are transplanted. In shortening-in, 

 the top must not be sheared evenly all over like the side 

 of a hedge, which would cause a thick, impenetrable mass 

 of shoots on the outside, and shut out all light from the 

 centre, but the centre should be kept somewhat open. 

 Large limbs must, if pruned, be cut off close to a branch, 



* "When this is inconvenient, larger portions of the branches may 

 be taken off once in two years, leaving the head in a neat, rounded 

 form, and taking care to cut at a fork so as to leave no bare stumps 

 Old trees may be restored in this manner. 



