62 



THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



a leaf-bud between them. It is the fact of the 

 single blossom-buds, in which No. 6 alone partici- 

 pates, which marks the distinctive character of this 

 beautiful class. 8 also has only single blossom- 

 buds, but it has no terminal leaf-bud, which No. 

 7 has; 7 has, therefore, been promoted to the 

 honour of being a separate type, and it occurs very 

 frequently on healthy and well-managed trees, 

 both in-doors and in the open air. This class 

 having a terminal leaf-bud will, besides bearing, 

 extend, and having sometimes a latent bud at the 

 base may, by judicious summer-stopping, become 

 double, in which case, generally, shoots of the same 

 character will be formed. This is a valuable dis- 

 position in this class, and, for many reasons, it 

 should be retained instead of being suppressed, as 

 it often is. 5 and 7 are essentially orchard-house 

 shoots, being developed more readily under the 

 somewhat artificial treatment therein practised. 



8. Barren Spray. Chiffon of Dubreuil {fig. 8). — 

 An unsatisfactory class, indicating neglect or a bad 

 habit of the tree itself. There is much difference 

 of opinion among long pruners how to treat this 

 class, but, if retained, they should be cut to above 

 the lowest fruit-bud. They occur in orchard-house 

 bush trees frequently, and show defective pruning, 

 because, by stopping, they would probably have 

 passed into some other type, or, at the worst, dried 



