88 THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



bending the shoot at just the proper time than the 

 present plan. If this bending down of the shoot 

 is omitted it will be blind the following year. The 

 new shoots c and d are treated as before described, 

 and if neatly secured to the wall will not present 

 any confused or crowded appearance. 



At the fourth winter pruning either of the shoots 

 c and d are selected, according to their character. 

 Supposing d, the lower shoot, to be selected as the 

 fruit-bearer, it is cut above the second or third 

 group of buds as before ; c, the upper shoot, then 

 becomes that destined to produce the two new 

 succession- shoots, and is accordingly cut back to 

 two wood-buds. The upper portion of the ori- 

 ginal spur e, together with the whole of the shoot 

 b, are now cut away as smoothly as possible, 

 leaving the whole as it appears in fig. 14. By this 

 time one or more buds will have appeared at the 

 base of the original spur e, and these if developed 

 will form the basis of future work. Should seve- 

 ral appear, one at least should be closely pinched 

 in, so as to form a cluster-spur, and thereby 

 increase the chance of fruit. 



There are several other ways of managing the 

 shoots, but none better than this one, nor in reality 

 more simple. Some manage to work with alter- 

 nate shoots. Others dispense even with this, and 

 are content with single ones. Much overlying of 



