48 THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



and hard. This defect is apparent chiefly in trees 

 pruned on the " long system." On the other hand, 

 by close and judicious summer-stopping, in ordinary 

 summers, the flower-buds will be developed near 

 the very base of each shoot. 



5. During severe weather no priming whatever 

 should be undertaken, either of trees in the open 

 air or in the orchard-house. The danger lies in 

 exposing by the cut the orifices of the sap-vessels ; 

 these burst, and are liable to decay. Such trees as 

 are exhausted by their crop should be cut early in 

 the autumn. This operation relieves the tree, and 

 aids in promoting the next year's crop. After a 

 sunny and dry summer the wood is ripe, and should 

 also be pruned early, for the reason mentioned 

 above. 



6. Never prune the Peach tree much at one 

 time. If pruned during the period of growth, 

 much sap is lost from the wounded shoots before 

 they can cicatrise. If this occurs in the winter, 

 that being the time for any more important change, 

 the tree always feels it. Bending down branches 

 even at that time is not always a safe operation, 

 unless gradually done, because at the lower portion, 

 where the bend occurs, the bark is compressed, 

 and the sap cannot ascend nor descend there so 

 well as it did previously. On the other hand, 

 the upper portion of the bark is distended extremely, 



V 



