198 



THE AMERICAN GARDENER. [Chap 



old ; the last is a peach tree such as we generally 

 see at that age. The practice is to plant the tree, 

 and to let it grow in its own way. The conse- 

 quence is, that, in a few years, it runs up to ^ long 

 naked stem with two or three long naked ];mbs, 

 having some little weak boughs at the tops^ and, 

 the tree being top-heavy, is, nineteen times out of 

 twenty, leaning on one side ; and, it presents, alto- 

 gether, a figure by no means handsome in itself or 

 creditable to the owner. — This is Jig. 3. — Now, to 

 have Jig. 2, the following is the way. — The tree 

 should, in the first place, be budded very near to the 

 ground. After it be planted, cut it down to within 

 a foot and a half of the ground, and always cut 

 sloping close to a bud. In this foot and a half, there 

 will be many buds, and they will, the first summer, 

 send out many shoots. Now, when shoots begin 

 to appear, rub them all off but three, leave the top 

 one, and one on each side, at suitable distances 

 lower down. These will, in time become limbs. 

 The next year, top the upright shoot (that came i 

 out of the top bud) again, so as to bring out other ! 

 horizontal limbs, pointing in a different direction 

 from those that came out the last year. Thus the 

 tree will get a spread. After this, you must keep 

 down the aspiring shoots ; and, every winter, cut 

 out some of the weak wood, that the tree may not > 

 be over-burdened with wood. If, in time, the tree 

 be getting thin of bearing wood towards the trunk, [ 

 cut some of the limbs back, and they will then send 

 out many shoots, and fill up the naked places. The 

 lowest limb of the tree, should come out of the 

 trunk at not more than 9 or 10 inches from the ^ 

 ground. The greater part of the tree will be within i 

 the reach of a man from the ground ; and a short 

 step-ladder reaches the rest. — By this management 



